


* • 


















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THE PURSUIT OF 
THE APACHE CHIEF 


By 

EVERETT T. TOMLINSON 

1 The Pursuit of the 
Apache Chief 

Places Young Americans 
Want to Know 

Fighters Young Americans 
Want to Know 

The Story of 
General Pershing 

The Trail of the 
Mohawk Chief 


These Are Appleton Books 


D. APPLETON & COMPANY 
Publishers New York 


T 234 














GERONIMO 

The Apache Chief 




AMERICAN SCOUTING SERIES 


THE PURSUIT OF 
THE APACHE CHIEF 

A STORY OF THE CAMPAIGN 
AGAINST GERONIMO 

BY 

EVERETT T. TOMLINSON 

o 

AUTHOR OF “SCOUTING ON THE BORDER,” “PLACES YOUNG 
AMERICANS WANT TO KNOW,” “THE STORY OF 
GENERAL PERSHING,” ETC. 



D. APPLETON & COMPANY 

NEW YORK LONDON 

1920 





Copyright, 1920, by 
D. APPLETON AND COMPANY 


Zf/ste 


/ 



PBINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OP AMERICA 


PREFACE 


Arizona is a land of romance and adventure. 
In the great Southwest the Apache Indians 
years ago made a name that became known 
throughout the country. Indeed, the name has 
gone far beyond the bounds of the United 
States and to-day is a familiar one in certain 
foreign cities. The campaign of General Miles 
against Geronimo, the wily, able and treacher- 
ous leader of these Indians, has provided the 
basis for this story. Many of the details have 
been related to me or given by those who were 
familiar with the campaign. The writer ac- 
knowledges his indebtedness for this material, 
and is under special obligation to General 
Miles, himself, for information he has kindly 
provided. 

Evebett T. Tomlinson 


Elizabeth, New Jersey 





CONTENTS 


CHAP'i‘£a PAGE 

L In the Devil's CaSon 1 

n. A Band op Apaches 4 16 

III. Under the Mountain . . . ; 5 ; , 26 

IV. The Great Medicine Stone . ^ , 37 

V. The Attack on the CaSon 49 

VI. The Meeting in the Caye 61 

VIA. A Hole in the Ground 73 

VHI. The Missing Medicine Stone 80 

IX. The Search for the Medicine Stone . . 97 

X. An Apache Guide . 109 

XI. A Prisoner 121 

XI 1. In an Apache Village 134 

XIII. The Coming op the Troops 146 

XIV. The Fight in the Ca5»on 158 

XV. The Fate op the Prisoner 169 

XVI. The Seven White Prisoners ISO 

XVII. Underneath the Mountain 191 

XV III. The Flight and the Pursuit 203 

XIX. Sent Away 214 

XX. The Chief and the General 226 

XX 1 . At the Mason Ranch 233 

XXII. The Return to the Trail 250 

XXIII. The Coming op General Miles .... 262 

XXIV. Conclusion 274 


THE PURSUIT OF 
THE APACHE CHIEF 


CHAPTER I 

IN THE DEVIL'S CANON" 

T HIS is where I saw a bear day before yes- 
terday.” 

“If there was one here then we ought to find 
one here now.” 

“That doesn't most always follow. Bears 
are strange creatures. Sometimes I have known 
'em to hang 'round a canon like this for weeks 
at a time and then again they wouldn’t show 
up for days. I reckon they have a feeding 
ground hereabouts and when there are berries 
and other things to be had, they work their vein 
for all its worth and then when they've got all 
they can, go out and look for something else. 
Just now, however, we had better keep quiet 
and be on the lookout.” 


1 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


There were three members of the little party 
which late in the summer of 1886 was entering 
a great gorge in Arizona which was known as 
the Devil ’s Canon. The oldest member of the 
little band was Z. Taylor Smith, a man about 
sixty years of age, hale and strong. The name 
of Old Bough and Ready had appealed strongly 
to the parents of the prospector and at the 
time of the birth of their boy they were united 
in their plan to call their offspring by the name 
of the President. This name, however, among 
those who knew him best, was commonly 
shortened to Zack. His face had been bronzed 
by his many years in the southwest. He had 
been one of the Forty-niners, who had gone in 
that famous year to California, when gold had 
been discovered near Sacramento. 

Apparently his fortune had not yet been 
made, however, although every year his courage 
was still strong, and now, after the passage of 
a quarter of a century, he was still confident 
that he would find gold in the near future. 

The second member of the trio was a young 
engineer named J ohn McBrier. Two years be- 
fore the time when the events in this story oc- 
curred he had graduated from one of the 
2 


IN THE DEVIL’S CKNON 

famous mining schools in the middle west. 
Possessed of some means and with no one de- 
pendent upon him, for his father and mother 
were dead, he had decided to go alone into the 
region where copper and gold were being found, 
and with all the hopefulness of youth he was 
confident that he, too, would soon be able to dis- 
cover that which would amply reward him for 
his search. Two years had passed since he had 
come and the gold for which he had been search- 
ing had not yet been found. His spirits, how- 
ever, were still undaunted and his courage was 
as strong as when he had first entered the 
marvelous regions. He was now about twenty- 
four years of age, tall and strong, and his 
hands and face were almost as bronzed as those 
of his older companion. 

The third member of the group was Alfred 
McBrier, Jack’s younger brother. He was 
seventeen years of age and at the close of 
school early in June he had taken the long 
journey across the plain from his home in St. 
Louis. All his anticipations of riding over the 
desert or climbing among the canons of the 
Sierras had been more than fulfilled. Several 
days had elapsed since his arrival and every 
3 


THE APACHE CHIEF 

moment had had its own special joy for the 
daring yonng hunter. He resembled his older 
brother, although he was not as heavy and his 
eyes were dark instead of being blue like Jack’s. 
To Alfred his older brother was the most won- 
derful man in the world. What Jack told him 
must be true anyway, and what Jack did or 
was able to do, in Alfred’s mind, was beyond 
the power of any other man to accomplish. 

Three days previous to the entrance of the 
little band into the Devil’s Canon, Zack had dis- 
covered the presence there of what he declared 
to be “the biggest b’ar between California and 
Washington.” His description had been so in- 
teresting that his younger companions had been 
as eager as he to hunt out the monster and se- 
cure his skin. It was for this purpose that now 
they were slowly making their way up the rocky 
and difficult slope of the canon. 

Frequently they halted for rest and to look 
keenly all about them. As yet no sign of the 
bear had been discovered. Above them was 
the clear blue of the Arizona sky. Indeed, there 
was a blueness in it, which is perhaps not to be 
found elsewhere. Only an occasional fleck of 
clouds was to be seen in the white expanse above 
4 


IN THE DEVIL’S CA^ON 


them and the yellow sunlight of the summer day 
was golden and mellow beyond the power of 
any writer to describe. 

“Do you hear the b’ar a-groanin’?” inquired 
Zack, abruptly. 

All three men instinctively swung the rifles 
they were carrying and leaned forward, listen- 
ing intently. 

From the depth of the canon before them 
there came the sound as of some mighty power 
groaning and moaning in agony. Beginning 
with a low note the muffled sound increased in 
volume until it became a great roar. Then, 
after a minute had passed the sound gradually 
subsided, becoming indistinct and soon no 
longer was heard. 

“What is that?” inquired Alfred quickly. 

1 1 1 told you , 9 7 replied Zack, 4 ‘ that was the old 
b’ar a-groanin’. At least that’s what the 
Apaches say and they ought to know for they 
have lived in these parts a good many hundred 
years.” 

“It sounded,” suggested Jack, “as if it came 
from that cave yonder,” pointing as he spoke 
toward an opening that appeared in the side of 
the mountain. 


5 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


“Let’s go in and drag him out,” suggested 
Alfred, eagerly. 

“That’s a good suggestion,” assented Zack, 
turning and leading the way toward the open- 
ing which was not more than a hundred feet 
away. 

Entering the cave the hunters in single file 
crawled through a long, narrow passage. They 
were surprised to find that as they glanced 
into the cavern the light was almost as clear 
and strong as in the upper world. Where it 
came from not one of them could tell. 

As they proceeded they were all silent and in 
a measure forgot the purpose of their entrance. 
All three were startled by the marvelous sight 
which met their eyes. As far as they were able 
to see there were gleaming pillars of quartz 
and glittering stalactites that fairly dazzled 
their eyes. Everywhere about them they saw 
what appeared to be the glitter of gold. They 
were no longer thinking of the bear and after 
they had advanced a few yards all three halted 
and looked about them. 

“This looks like a nugget,” suggested Alfred 
as he stooped and picked up a tawny colored 
rock of the size of his fist. 

6 


IN THE DEVIL’S CANON 


He had no sooner grasped it, however, than 
once more the mysterious moaning and groaning 
began again. Bewildered by the overwhelming 
sound and almost terror stricken by the mys- 
tery of the wonderful place in which they were 
standing, Alfred quickly dropped the nugget he 
had discovered and listened intently to what 
seemed to be peal after peal of thunder that 
rolled up from the depths below. 

Indeed to the startled boy the sounds seemed 
to culminate in what was an unearthly shriek. 

In a low voice he turned to their guide and 
said, “Zach, what is that? Have you ever 
heard anything like it before?” 

“I heard this same racket once, ” replied Zach 
solemnly without looking at the lad. “I came 
up here with my partner when things didn’t pan 
out in California in Forty-nine, at least they 
didn’t pan out for me. We hadn’t been success- 
ful, so there wasn’t anything left for us to do 
but to start out prospectin’ for ourselves. For 
weeks and months we tramped around without 
seein’ a single soul. We came into this part 
of the country and for all I know into this 
very canon. One day while we were huntin ’ here 
we got after a b’ar just as we all started out to 
7 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


do just now. I got a shot at him and crippled 
him. We trailed him through the woods for a 
considerable distance and then he wentv down 
into one of the worst canons I have ever seen. 
I think very likely it was this very one. It 
looked just about as unearthly as this one 
does.” 

! 4 ‘What happened to the bear?” inquired 

Alfred. 

1 “Oh, the b’ar finally went into a cave and 
just then my pard said to me, ‘Look at me quick, 
Zach, is there anything the matter with me?’ 
He spoke just as the moanin , and groanin’ be- 
gan. I looked at him just as he told me and he 
was a sight. He was as pale as death and trem- 
blin’ all over and great drops of sweat stood 
out on his face. That low moanin’ sound that 
we heard had been growin’ louder and my pard 
said he felt just as if something unearthly was 
reaching out behind him and tryin’ to get hold 
of him. I told him it was nothin’ but the old 
b’ar a-groanin’ and he said just as you did a 
'little while ago, ‘Let’s go in and drag him out.’ 
So we went into the cave and along a narrow 
passage just like this. It was almost as light 
in there as it is here. My friend picked up a 


IN THE DEVIL’S CA&ON 


nugget wHich lie thought was gold same as you 
did, but just as he picked it up the sighin’ and 
the moanin’ and the groanin’ broke out again 
and wound up with an awful shriek. My pard 
dropped his nugget and that was the last time 
I ever saw him. He seemed to disappear right 
off the earth. From some reports that came to 
me I thought maybe he was still around these 
parts and that’s the reason why I came up here 
this summer.” 

“He would be changed so that you wouldn’t 
recognize him,” suggested Jack. 

“I have no doubt,” assented Zach, “hut there 
are some things about him that couldn’t change. 
In the first place he was the biggest man I ever 
saw in my life. He was almost seven feet tall 
and was built accordin’.” 

“He must have been a giant,” suggested 
Alfred. 

j “He was. If you should ever see him you 
never would forget him. ’ ’ 

“And you still think he’s around here?” in* 
quired Jack. 

“The Apaches have told me of a man who 
lives up here somewhere in one of these canons 
and according to their words he would fit the 
9 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


description of my old friend. They say that 
he’s crazy and it may be that he is.” 

‘ ‘When did you first hear about this?” 

“The Apaches told me about it last Spring. 
There’s been quite a bit of copper found in Ari- 
zona and I decided to come over here and do 
some prospectin’ for myself. I got caught one 
night in one of the Apache villages and had to 
stay until mornin’.” 

“What do you think of the Apaches?” in- 
quired Alfred. 

“There isn’t language fit to use that will de- 
scribe what I think of ’em,” said Zach tartly. 
“They’re the cutest and the smartest Indians 
in all the southwest. They go on working for 
months just as orderly and peaceable as any- 
body on earth. Then all at once they’ll be taken 
with the war fever and off they’ll go. And 
when they go to war they don’t have any half- 
way measures. Of all the cruel, bloodthirsty 
varmints that ever lived an Apache on the war- 
path can beat the world. And he’s smart too. 
He’ll lie right down on the desert alongside of 
some cactus bush and you can’t tell he’s there. 
Very likely he’ll be covered up with the sand. 
Then when you come along the first thing you 
10 


IN THE DEVIL’S CANON 

know a shot will come up out of the ground and 
oil you’ll go to the Devil’s Canon. I have even 
known some of them to hide right under the 
cactus bush, I mean they were buried under it. 
Their eyes are as shiny as the stars. They are 
good friends when they are friends, but when 
they’re on the warpath, they don’t seem to be 
friends with anybody. They’ll torture their 
prisoners, they’ll steal anything, and you can’t 
place any more dependence upon their word 
than you can upon the wind when it sweeps over 
the desert. Indeed, you can’t place half as 
much dependence, for there’s one thing about 
these desert winds that you can always be sure 
of.” 

“ What’s that!” inquired Alfred. 

“You can be perfectly sure that you can’t be 
sure of anything about them. That being the 
case all you have to do is to act accordin’.” 

“The Apache has been quite a big horse 
thief,” said Jack. “At least that’s the report 
that’s come to me since I’ve been out here.” 

“Horse thieves! They can beat the record. 
I’ve known ’em sometimes when they were run- 
nin ’ away from their enemies to ride until their 
horses absolutely dropped to the ground. Then 
11 


THE APACHE CHIEF 

the Apaches would leave the poor beasts, steal 
other horses, if they could, and from anybody, 
and ride on until they had found some place 
where they could hide among the mountains. 
They’ll climb cliffs that I think even a fly would 
slip up on. They’ll paint themselves so that 
they look just like the rock and when you come 
along innocent and unsuspectin’ the first thing 
you know the rock will fire at you the same as 
you get a rifle ball out of the cactus bush back 
on the desert. Yes, sir, the Apaches when they 
start in are about the hardest people to fight I 
have ever heard of. I don’t believe Napoleon 
Bonaparte could have done much with ’em.” 

“ There have been rumors,” suggested Jack, 
'That they are getting ready to start on the 
warpath again.” 

“Just like ’em,” muttered Zach. “You never 
can tell. They’ve got a fellow down there now. 
His real name is Goyathly, but everybody calls 
him Geronimo. He isn’t a real chief, for 
among the Apaches the chieftainship is heredi- 
tary. The real chief is Natchez, leastwise he’s 
the one who is entitled to the position, but the 
real leader is Geronimo. He’s a dangerous 
man. I never saw such bright eyes in any hu- 
12 


IN THE DEVIL’S CANON 


man face as he has got, and when you look at 
his jaw you know he wouldn’t give up until he’s 
dead and even then you’ll have your work cut 
out to prove that he is dead. I have heard some 
rumors that he’s stirred up the Apaches to fight 
for their rights.” 

“Why shouldn’t they fight for their rights!” 
asked Alfred promptly. 

“They haven’t any right to steal children to 
say nothing about horses and other stuff, set 
fire to the houses, shoot the men when they’re 
at work and ” 

‘ ‘ They probably are trying to drive the people 
from the lands which they think are theirs ” 
interrupted Alfred. 

“Get out. It’s no such thing. They don’t 
own these lands, though they think they do.” 

“Who does own them!” 

“The settlers that come in here.” 

“How did they get them!” 

“Took them. They registered their claims. 
They were squatters, and no Indian in the world 
has the right to drive them off.” 

“Not even if he squats on their land!” in- 
quired Alfred with a laugh. 

“It seems to me,” broke in Jack, “that we’re 
13 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


forgetting what we came here for. We were 
looking for a bear, weren’t we?” 

6 1 That’s what we came for,” assented Alfred, 
4 ‘but when we heard the groaning and all the 
racket that was going on we stopped to listen 
to it and the first thing we knew we were hear- 
ing about the Apaches. All I hope is that they, 
won’t get started on our trail.” 

“Maybe we’ll find what my pard said he was 
going to look for up here. That will help us,” 
suggested Zach. 

“What was that?” inquired Alfred. 

“It’s what is known as the great Medicine 
Stone. It’s said that the Apaches have a great 
stone half as big as your fist that ’s almost pure 
diamonds. They say the light from it fairly 
blinds your eyes. They keep it up here some- 
where among these canons and my pard is said 
to have been looking for that big stone, though 
accordin’ to all reports it brings bad luck to any 
man that finds it. ’ ’ 

“I shouldn’t call it that, ” laughed Alfred, “if 
I could find a diamond half as big as my fist, 
though honestly, I’m just as anxious not to see 
any Apache in here as I am to find that great 
Medicine Stone ” 


14 


IN THE DEVIL’S CANON 

Alfred instantly became silent as bis brother 
seized him by his right arm and pointing np 
the canon said in a low voice, “Do yon see 
those Indians ?” 

Alfred did not reply though he was aware of 
the passing of twenty mounted Indians, whose 
ponies delicately picked their way among the 
bowlders. 

“What are they?” he whispered, “Are they 
Apaches?” 

“They are,” answered Zach promptly. 

“What are they doing up here?” 

“They look a good deal as if they were on 
the warpath. They haven’t seen us yet and 
the best thing for us to do is to make sure that 
they don’t spy us out. We’ll have our hands 
full if they do.” 


CHAPTER H 

A BAND OF APACHES 

T HEY haven’t seen us yet,” whispered 
Zach excitedly. “The best thing for us 
to do will be to dodge back out of sight and 
run around the gorge. 7 ’ 

Acting instantly upon the advice of the old 
prospector all three turned and began to re- 
trace the way over which they had come. They 
were crouching as they ran, every one carrying 
his rifle in such a way that he could instantly 
raise it to his shoulder, and frequently all three 
glanced behind them to make sure that their 
flight had not been discovered. 

They ran swiftly up the gorge, but they had 
not advanced far when a wild yell from the 
Indians disclosed the fact that their presence 
was now known. There was no question either 
that the Indians were now on the warpath, for 
with a wild yell they started their horses in 
swift pursuit of the fleeing men. 

Aware now that further attempts at conceal- 
16 


A BAND OF APACHES 


ment were useless, the fugitives increased their 
speed and leaped from boulder to boulder as 
they dashed down the canon. 

Following Zach’s direction they turned aside 
from the main gorge and, dropping swiftly into 
a minor canon, were lost to sight for a few min- 
utes, at least, by the Apaches. In the midst of 
the gorge was a swift mountain stream which 
even now, although it was summer, was more 
than half full of water. Opposite them huge 
perpendicular walls arose, some of them hun- 
dreds of feet above the place over which they 
were passing. These walls were on each side 
and apparently there was no break in them. 

They had not advanced far before they were 
once more aware that the Indians were in pur- 
suit, although as Alfred glanced behind him he 
was convinced that only part of the Apaches 
they had seen were following them. 

“What has become of the others V 9 he asked 
of Zach. 

“ I ’m afraid, ’ 9 answered the prospector, ‘ ‘ that 
they have divided and part of them are follow- 
ing us and the rest of them are trying to make 
for the other end of the gorge. If they get 
there before we do it will mean that we are 
17 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


caught between the two bands. Our only hope 
is to make better time.” 

The Indians now had leaped from the backs 
of their ponies and were following swiftly on 
foot, for no horse could make its way over the 
rough and rocky bottom of the gorge. 

All three were well aware of the endurance of 
the Apaches in such an effort. It was a com- 
mon report that an Apache runner was able 
to cover a hundred miles in a single day. They 
ran as if they were machines, well oiled and in 
perfect condition. If the pursuit lasted long 
there was slight question as to its outcome. 
The Indians would overtake the white men and 
they would be compelled soon to abandon the 
desperate efforts they now were making to gain 
the end of the gorge before their enemies could 
arrive. 

“ Follow me !” called Zach, as leaping upon a 
bowlder he stepped upon a wide cliff that ran 
by the side of the stream. The rock seemed 
like a shelf, which had been cut in the side of 
the mountain. It was at least three feet wide 
and apparently smooth so that there was not 
much difficulty in making excellent time as the 
three runners fled across it. 

18 


A BAND OF APACHES 


The sun already had disappeared behind the 
mountains. Night would soon be at hand and 
the peril of the fugitives would be greatly in- 
creased. 

Aware of their danger, all three exerted 
themselves as they had not done since the flight 
began. They were all breathing heavily, how- 
ever, and in spite of the shadows that were al- 
ready darkening the canon their faces were 
streaming with perspiration. 

The light rapidly disappeared and when only 
a few minutes had elapsed the approaching 
darkness was already manifest throughout the 
canon. The rocks and cliffs took on a ghostly 
form. To the anxious little band the fantastic 
forms of the rocks seemed to be like those of 
their enemies. They were fearful of an attack 
from the front now as well as from the rear 
because Zach had told them that they were now 
coming near to the end of the gorge. Suddenly 
Zach stopped abruptly and seizing each of his 
companions by his right arm he said, “Look 
yonder ! ’ 9 

Startled as they were by the abrupt command 
the two brothers glanced at the opposite side 
of the canon and were almost as startled as the 

19 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


prospector had been. On the sheer face of the 
precipice they saw the reflections of weird danc- 
ing figures. The dancers apparently were en- 
gaging in a fantastic form of amusement. 
There were wild leaps and wilder gesticula- 
tions and then the strange group joined hands 
and danced about some object in its center 
which was not plainly seen by the beholders. 

At that moment the groaning from the earth 
once more was heard. The sound, muffled at 
first, increased in volume until it became a roar 
like that of a passing railway train. The terri- 
fying sound increased in volume, accompanied 
at intervals by other sounds that resembled the 
hissing of escaping steam. When at last the 
roaring had reached its climax once more it 
began to recede, becoming dimmer and dimmer 
until at last only a faint rumble was to be heard. 
So fascinated had the beholders been by the 
spectacle at which they were gazing that for a 
brief time the thought of their pursuers had 
been forgotten. 

They were still more startled when suddenly 
they saw the reflections on the cliff beside them 
scatter like a band of frightened children. 
Their amazement was still more apparent when 
20 


A BAND OF APACHES 


into the midst of the circle around which the 
Indians had been dancing there stepped a fig- 
ure that appeared to be twice as large as any 
of the previous ones they had seen. In the 
hands of this huge actor was a mighty club 
which he wielded as deftly and lightly as if it 
had been without weight. 

It was not long, however, before the figures 
of the dancing warriors no longer were seen 
and Zach turned to his companions and said, 
“I reckon our friends, the Apaches, have gone.” 

“What makes you think that?” inquired 
Jack. 

“I know how they feel about this canon up 
here and when they heard this awful groanin’ 
and saw what we saw on the other side of the 
cliff over yonder, you may make up your mind 
that they didn’t stay here very long. You 
know there’s a lake of hot water not very far 
from here and the Indians have a story that 
that is the place where the devil takes his vic- 
tims and throws them into that hot water and 
they are never seen again. ’ ’ He added thought- 
fully, “But what troubles me is that glimpse 
we had of that big chap with the club. As I 
told you I’m looking for my old pal, Jake. I 
21 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


told yon there were reports among the Apaches 
that there was a man up here in the canon who 
was as big as any three ordinary men and that 
he was either crazy or a wild man. You know 
I half believe that figure we saw was my old 
pal. ’ ’ 

“Why not find out?” suggested Alfred. 

“It’s getting dark now,” replied Zach, “and 
I don’t think we want to spend much time here 
after the night has settled down. The Apaches 
may get their courage up again and come after 
us. I’m sure now that they have gone back.” 

“Don’t you think,” suggested Jack, “that 
they might like to wait for us out near the en- 
trance to the gorge?” 

“That’s possible,” acknowledged Zach, “but 
I think our best plan will be to chance it. The 
sooner we start the better our chances will be.” 

Acting upon the prospector’s suggestion all 
three turned and retraced their way. In the 
darkness their progress was hindered, but they 
steadily continued on their way until at last they 
once more were in the main canon. There they 
halted and endeavored to ascertain whether or 
not the Apaches were in hiding there. 

Convinced after a brief time that the Indians 

22 


A BAND OF APACHES 


Fad fled, the three white men resumed their 
efforts and cautiously made their way down 
the canon. A moon by this time had come up 
and there was sufficient light to enable them to 
pick their way. They halted frequently to as- 
certain whether or not the Indians had gone, 
but without any sign of the presence of their 
enemies they at last came to the open side of 
the mountain and without any molestation suc- 
ceeded in making their way back to their camp. 

This camp was so located that it was not only 
sheltered hut protected from any sudden attack. 
There had not entered into the minds of the 
campers any thought of the possibility of an 
attack by the Indians, their only fear being that 
of a prowling mountain lion or an over curious 
bear. 

Now, however, after they had seen the band 
of Apaches, they were well aware that they 
were no longer as secure as they previously had 
thought. 

“We’ll be all right to-night,” declared Zach 
confidently. “The Apaches won’t come back 
until it is daylight. They don’t like that roarin’ 
although it probably has been goin’ on here 
23 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


since long before tbe Indians ever built a tepee 
in Arizona .’ ’ 

All three were thoroughly wearied by their 
efforts and as soon as they had prepared and 
eaten a light supper they sought their blankets 
and soon were soundly asleep. 

In the morning, however, when Alfred and 
Zach arose they discovered that Jack was no 
longer in the cabin. Neither was much con- 
cerned about his absence, for the young engi- 
neer occasionally had left his companions and 
been absent two or even three days before he 
returned. 

Zach and Alfred prepared their breakfast and 
saved a portion for the missing member of the 
camp. 

When noon arrived and Jack had not re- 
turned their anxiety came back with redoubled 
force. The knowledge that the Apaches were 
once more on the warpath was not only dis- 
quieting, but alarming. If Jack had ventured 
into a place where they could attack him the 
prospect of his speedy return was not bright. 
It was difficult for them, however, to believe that 
any such dire event had befallen their com- 
24 


A BAND OF APACHES 

rade. If either of them had been able to see 
at that moment what was befalling the miss- 
ing member of their little band their fears 
would have been greatly increased. 


CHAPTER III 

UNDER THE MOUNTAIN 

W ITHOUT disturbing his companions 
Jack had arisen before either of the 
others was awake. Impelled by the recollection 
of the exciting events of the preceding day he 
mounted a pony and rode swiftly to the entrance 
of the Devil ’s Canon, in which the exciting ex- 
periences with the Indians and the huge, un- 
known man whom Zach confidently declared to 
be his old pard had occurred. 

About one hundred yards from the entrance 
he hobbled his faithful little pony and then 
with his rifle grasped in his hand entered the 
region into which they had gone the preceding 
afternoon. As he followed the pathway over 
which the three hunters had gone, Jack’s anx- 
iety increased. He recalled the stories which 
Zach had told of the determined and treach- 
erous nature of the Apaches and if now they 
were really on the warpath, as he had declared 
them to be, there was serious trouble ahead for 
26 


UNDER THE MOUNTAIN 


the scattered people of the southwest. Even the 
little band of three members which was camp- 
ing near the entrance to the canon would not 
be entirely without peril. As Jack thought of 
his younger brother, of whom he was exceed- 
ingly proud, he almost decided that he would 
suggest breaking up the camp the following day 
and going back to the settlement where he had 
his office. 

His thoughts, however, were interrupted by 
a vision of half a dozen Indians moving in sin- 
gle file across the shelf on the cliffs by which 
he and his friends had escaped the preceding 
day. He was confident the Indians had not yet 
seen him, although he had no means of verify- 
ing his conviction. 

Instantly he crouched behind a huge rock and 
peered over the edge at the savages. 

It was plain that Zach had been correct in 
his statement. The Indians were painted and 
their entire procedure clearly showed that they 
were searching for enemies. Although Jack had 
had many dealings with the Apaches, up to this 
time he had never experienced any trouble with 
them, and he was uncertain now whether or not 
they would look upon him as an enemy and 
27 


THE APACHE CHIEF 

treat him accordingly. His safer plan, how- 
ever, he hastily concluded, was to remain in 
hiding until they had passed out of the gorge. 

His meditations were rudely broken when 
there was a sudden wild call from the red men 
and as Jack peered intently at them he was 
convinced that they were now aware of his pres- 
ence and were coming swiftly toward his place 
of shelter. 

For a moment he was undecided whether or 
not he should try to maintain his position by 
using his revolver and protecting himself by 
the intervening rock from their shots. There 
was a possibility that he might flee from the 
place and escape to the entrance to the great 
gorge. He was aware, however, that the 
Apaches were coming with incredible swiftness 
and that his chances of escape, perhaps, al- 
ready were gone. 

Suddenly he discharged his revolver above 
the heads of the warriors, trusting that his ac- 
tion would cause them to Halt or at least would 
make them disclose their purpose. 

The narrow canon reechoed the sharp report 
of his pistol and as Jack glanced hastily in the 
direction from which the Apaches were coming 
28 


UNDER THE MOUNTAIN 


he was startled when he discovered that they 
had disappeared from sight. 

He was well aware, however, of the marvelous 
ability of these men to find cover and to re- 
main concealed. 

For an hour he remained in his hiding place, 
occasionally peering around the border of the 
rock, but not once did he obtain a glimpse of 
his foes. It was difficult to believe that they 
had departed from the canon and yet apparently 
they were no longer there. 

When another half hour had elapsed Jack de- 
cided to move further up the gorge, suspecting 
that the Indians themselves were holding places 
there, if they were still watching for him, near 
the entrance. There they would remain for a 
long time or until they were convinced that he 
would not return by that route. 

Pushing steadily forward he came once more 
near the place where the strange moaning and 
groaning of the preceding day had been heard. 
"Yes,” he said to himself, as he halted, "those 
strange noises are coming again.” There was 
a moaning that seemed to come with the trem- 
bling of the very earth itself. The moan grad- 
ually increased in volume until it became a loud 
29 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


rumble. This ended with something that was 
very like a shriek and then the sound died away. 
This was the place which Zach had said was 
near the Devil ’s Lake, that cauldron of boiling 
water, into which the Apaches believed the devil 
cast those who would not do as he wished. 

At that moment, however, Jack glanced be- 
hind him and suddenly discovered that the In- 
dians were following him. He was not at all 
certain that he could climb the trail by which 
he had escaped but he decided that he would 
continue on his way until he found some place 
which would serve as a refuge. He had not 
gone far and was well beyond the sight of his 
pursuers when he discovered a hole in one of 
the rocks that promised to be the very place 
for which he was seeking. Instantly crawling 
within it he waited and soon was convinced that 
the Apaches were approaching. 

Before they had come to the rock within 
which he was concealed, Jack suddenly was 
aware of another cause of commotion. There 
were wild shouts that apparently were coming 
from one throat. In spite of his danger Jack 
peered around the edge of one rock to the op- 
posite side of the canon and saw the giant whom 
30 


UNDER THE MOUNTAIN 


he had first seen the preceding afternoon. The 
man was so near that Jack was able to see that 
he was clothed in skins and that he was carry- 
ing a huge knotted club that seemed to be as 
large as the leg of an ordinary man. The man’s 
face was covered with a long beard and his tan- 
gled, matted hair hung far down his back. He 
certainly was a wild appearing creature and if 
he was the missing partner of Zach he certainly 
fulfilled the explanation of the prospector that 
he was now crazy. 

The discovery of the presence of the giant 
instantly caused the Apaches to turn on their 
trail and with loud shouts they filed swiftly 
down the gorge. Meanwhile, the huge giant 
swung his club and shouted in his unearthly 
tones, words which Jack was not able to under- 
stand. 

Convinced, at least, that the Indians really 
had gone Jack crept out of his hiding place and 
suddenly decided that he would approach this 
strange being whom he had seen now at close 
range. 

Doing his utmost to show that his purpose 
was not unfriendly, Jack waved his arms and 
extended his hands, meanwhile searching for 
31 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


some place where he might cross the canon to 
the opposite side, where the strange man was 
now standing leaning upon his club and gazing 
in the direction in which the Apaches had dis- 
appeared. 

However, the sight of Jack apparently was 
not at all to his liking. Once more the wild man 
brandished his club and began his outlandish 
gibberish. Undaunted by the sight and sound, 
Jack drew his rifle to his shoulder and aimed 
at the man who now was not more than fifty 
feet away. It might be that the man was crazy, 
but even if he was he retained some glimpses 
of reason. Instantly it was clear that he was 
aware of the danger of confronting a rifle held 
at the shoulder of a man in front of him. 

With one loud cry he turned and with almost 
incredible leaps gained the bottom of the gorge 
and began to run swiftly along the bank of the 
little stream. 

Jack was unable to account for his actions, 
but instantly decided to follow the strange man 
whom he found it difficult to believe to be really 
dangerous. He had no difficulty in tracing the 
way, although the wild man quickly disappeared 
from sight, by following the prints of the huge 
32 


UNDER THE MOUNTAIN 


feet on the sand or gravel. The feet were hare 
and if Jack had not been in such haste he would 
have marveled at their size. Never had he seen 
such a human footprint before. 

He had not advanced far before he saw the 
man once more. He was moving with almost in- 
credible swiftness, leaping from rock to rock, 
then running directly in the bed of the stream 
and again moving rapidly along the bank when- 
ever the ground was comparatively smooth. 
Fascinated by the sight Jack still continued his 
pursuit. 

Just how far he had gone he had no means 
of knowing in his excitement, but to his aston- 
ishment he came directly to what appeared to 
be the end of the gorge. The stream itself 
darted under the rock and disappeared from 
sight. Soon he would be face to face with the 
wild man whom he was eager to overtake. 

As Jack advanced to the end of the gorge he 
looked in every direction but the man was no 
longer to be seen. What had become of him? 
It was impossible for him to scale the steep 
cliffs, for even his immense strength would 
have been unequal to that task. Bushes were 
growing quite thickly along the stream near 
33 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


where it darted under the foot of the mountain. 

Puzzled by the strange disappearance, Jack 
halted and again looked about him. Not a 
trace of the man was to be seen. And yet it 
was impossible for him to have departed from 
the place without being seen. 

Suddenly Jack crept forward and a low ex- 
clamation escaped him as he drew near the place 
where the stream darted under a huge rock 
and disappeared from sight. “It's just as I 
thought, ’ ’ he muttered, “ just as I suspected. If 
he can get in there I can too. I’m going to try 
it.” 

The waters of the swiftly moving stream were 
narrow here and left a space of a foot above 
their surface and under the overhanging rock. 
Cautiously Jack stepped into the stream and 
waded forward. The water came first to his 
waist and then rose to his shoulders. When 
he passed under the rock he discovered that he 
was still able to keep his head and his rifle above 
the swiftly moving stream. 

Cautiously and steadily he moved ahead. In 
places the water decreased in depth until it did 
not come above his thighs and then again rising 
until only his head was free. 

34 


UNDER THE MOUNTAIN 


On and on lie moved until the sunlight disap- 
peared and he was surrounded by dense dark- 
ness. Perhaps he was reckless to continue on 
his way, he thought, but somehow it was im- 
possible for him to turn back. The stream was 
not sufficiently swift to endanger his footing and 
yet he was aware that his progress would be 
much more difficult when he retraced his way. 

Impelled by his intense desire to overtake' 
the huge man who he was confident had pre- 
ceeded him, he still continued on his way, the 
water not once rising above his shoulders. 

Once he slipped and nearly fell, but fortu- 
nately recovered his foothold and prevented his 
rifle, which he was carrying above his head, 
from being wet. 

The darkness became even more dense. The 
reckless young engineer not knowing what was 
awaiting him still continued on his way. 

A few moments later, however, his courage in- 
creased when he was confident that he had 
discovered a light not far before him. As he 
advanced the conviction became stronger. Cer- 
tainly there was light here. 

Increasing his speed in his excitement Jack 
moved down the stream until he had arrived at 
35 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


the spot where the waters came out from under 
the mountain. Halting a moment at the exit 
he cautiously peered before him. The sight 
which greeted his eyes was even wilder and 
more strange than anything he had conceived. 


CHAPTER IV 


THE GEEAT MEDICINE STONE 

I N a moment thoughts of the Indians whom he 
had recently seen were banished from Jack’s 
mind. Like a man who had been aroused from 
a deep sleep and was still only partly awake 
he gazed at the sight which greeted his eyes. 

Not far before him on the right bank of the 
stream through which he had been wading was 
a little hut. Here there was nothing to shut out 
the light of the sky except the steep sides of 
the mountain which arose directly behind the 
cabin to a height of several hundred feet. 

A few yards in front of the cabin a fire was 
still smoldering. The smoke was rising in 
eddies from the ashes and it was evident at 
once that here some one, a little while before, 
had been preparing his breakfast. 

The most startling sight of all, however, was 
that of a huge man lying outstretched upon the 
rock near the fire. 

The man was lying upon his back with his 

37 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


face apparently looking straight np into the 
heavens. In the chest of the man, however, at 
least fifteen arrows were plainly seen. The 
shafts were standing np as if they were the 
outgrowth of seeds that had been planted. Near 
the motionless body was a huge club large at 
one end and knotted and gnarled. 

Jack instantly concluded that before him he 
was looking at the body of the strange man 
whom he had been following and whose disap- 
pearance at the place where the mountain 
stream darted under the overhanging moun- 
tain was explained. It was evident, however, 
that the strange being was dead, a conviction 
which was quickly confirmed when Jack ran to 
the place where the body was lying and made 
a hasty inspection. 

At first when he grasped the huge right hand 
of the motionless man and found it was still 
warm he could not decide whether or not the 
giant really was dead. A hasty examination, 
however, convinced him that the stranger was 
lifeless. His face was pallid and there was no 
beating of his heart. Besides, the arrows had 
been shot with terrific force and the heads of 
two of them appeared beneath his shoulders 
38 


THE GBEAT MEDICINE STONE 


in the back. The sight was appalling, and for 
an instant Jack was recalled to his own peril. 
The Apaches, doubtless, had been the murder- 
ers of this strange man before him and evi- 
dently had not long been gone. 

Hastily rising, the young engineer glanced 
keenly about him but he was unable to dis- 
cover the presence of enemies. The silence that 
rested over the spot was most impressive. 
Above him the clear blue of the Arizona sky 
provided a frame for the marvelous picture. 
Flickers of sunlight danced upon the precipices 
and increased his weird feeling. 

At last he was convinced that the Apaches, 
doubtless in great fear, had fled after they had 
silently killed the giant. Even then Jack re- 
called the weird reflections that had been seen 
by him and his companions on the smooth sur- 
face of the rocks far up the canon. It was evi- 
dent then that the Apaches were afraid of this 
huge man with his great club and were mind- 
ful of more than the insanity which Zach de- 
clared had possessed him. 

And now before him Jack saw the motion- 
less body of this strange man. Convinced that 
he was beyond all help, Jack looked about him 
39 


THE APACHE CHIEF 

to discover something which might enable him 
to decide what his next duty should be. Grasp- 
ing the huge body under its arms he slowly 
moved toward the cabin, struggling under the 
heavy load. The long matted hair, the great 
unkempt beard, the strange garments in which 
the dead man was clothed all combined to make 
him feel at times that his task was almost un- 
real. It was only after many efforts that he 
at last succeeded in drawing the great body 
within the cabin where he left it stretched upon 
the floor and once more stepped outside to dis- 
cover if his enemies had returned. 

At last Jack abruptly decided to go back to 
his companions and wait for the decision of 
Zach to determine what next should be done. 

Acting upon his suggestion he lifted his rifle 
above his head and once more stepped into 
the stream to retrace his way under the moun- 
tain, 

The task was much more difficult than his 
former passage had been and he was thoroughly 
wearied when at last he emerged from the un- 
derground stream. 

Halting only long enough to recover his 
breath and without any attempt to dry the wet 
40 


THE GREAT MEDICINE STONE 


garments which clung to him he began to run 
toward the exit of the gorge where he had left 
his horse. 

At last safely accomplishing his purpose he 
mounted his pony and rode swiftly hack to 
the camp. 

He was delighted when he discovered that 
Both his brother and Zach were there. Hastily 
dismounting, he called to Alfred, “See that 
my pony is hobbled and I’ll get these wet 
clothes off.” 

“What happened to you? What’s the mat- 
ter?” demanded Alfred, instantly excited by 
the appearance of his brother. 

“Wait a minute and I’ll tell you all about 
it,” replied Jack. “You might get some break- 
fast for me while I’m changing my clothes. I 
haven’t had a mouthful to eat.” 

In a few minutes breakfast had been pre- 
pared for the returned member of the little 
band and both his friends were interrupting 
his occupation with questions which they could 
no longer withhold. 

4 ‘ What ’s happened to you? What is it ? ” de- 
manded Alfred. 

“Well,” explained Jack, “I started off this 

41 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


morning determined to find out more about that 
old pard of Zach’s. I wanted, also, to look at 
that place where he disappeared. You know 
he acted as if he had been swallowed up in 
the earth V 9 

“Did you find anything V 9 inquired Alfred, 
eagerly. 

“Keep still and I’ll tell you all about it,” re- 
torted Jack. “I found, just as I thought, that 
the stream went under the mountain and that 
it could be waded. The water sometimes came 
up to my waist and sometimes to my neck. Al- 
most all the way I had two or three feet of room 
above my head, for the water must have worn a 
space there during the floods. It was as dark as 
midnight. There were times when I felt as if 
somebody might reach out and grab me, but I 
managed somehow to keep my rifle dry and I 
kept on. I didn’t know how long I was in the 
stream, but when at last I came out into the 
light again I found right near the place where 
the water comes out the other side of the moun- 
tain a little cabin. It was built in the open and 
it was plain that whoever lived there had been 
cooking his breakfast for the fire was still 
smoldering. But what I then found is the 
42 


THE GREAT MEDICINE STONE 


strangest part of it all. Lying on his back, with 
his face turned straight up toward the sky, was 
the biggest man I ever saw. He must have 
been seven feet high. 

“Why do you say he must ‘have been’ seven 
feet high? Isn’t he that now?” interrupted 
Alfred. 

“The man is dead,” said Jack shortly. 

“What? What do you mean?” demanded 
Zach. 

“Absolutely dead. There were a lot of ar- 
rows that had been shot into his chest and I 
saw, too, that two had gone clear through to 
the other side of his body.” 

“Did the Apaches shoot him?” asked Zach in 
a low voice. 

“I think they did, but you know as much 
about that as I. At all events the man was 
dead.” 

“What did you do?” inquired Zach. 

“I dragged his body inside the cabin. It was 
all I could do to bring it inside. I left it there 
on the floor and then I started back here to get 
your advice, for I thought you would know bet- 
ter what ought to be done next than I would.” 
43 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


“I’m going there right now,” declared Zach, 
rising abruptly as he spoke. 

“You can’t find the place alone,” declared 
Jack. “I’ll go with you.” 

“You aren’t going to leave me here in the 
camp,” declared Alfred, “so I propose to he 
the third member of this party. This is the 
strangest story I ever heard.” 

A few minutes later all three had obtained 
their rifles and mounting their ponies started at 
once in the direction indicated by the young en- 
gineer. When they arrived at the entrance to 
the gorge they followed Jack’s example and 
hobbled their horses nearby, while they them- 
selves on foot followed him as he led the way 
toward the underground stream, 
j There was no hesitation on their part as they 
followed him when he stepped into the stream 
and disappeared beneath the towering moun- 
tain. Indeed not a word was spoken, while 
all three were making their way over the treach- 
erous bed of the underground mountain stream. 

When at last they emerged from the water 
Jack climbed the bank and at once led the way 
toward the little cabin. He had closed the door 
when he had departed and now as he swung it 
44 


THE GREAT MEDICINE STONE 

open lie was almost afraid that the body he had 
left there might have been removed. 

His fears were relieved, however, in a meas- 
ure, when he saw before him the huge body of 
the dead giant and without a word he pointed 
toward it as he turned to Zach. 

The prospector quickly entered the building 
and kneeling by the side of the dead man at 
once began an investigation. 

The only object he found in the clothing of 
the man was a huge stone which, as he drew 
it from the pocket of the skin jacket, glistened 
brightly in the sunlight. The stone itself was 
half as large as a man’s fist. 

The same thought was in the mind of every 
beholder, but it was Zach who voiced their feel- 
ing. “This is the Apache Medicine Stone I 
was telling you about,” he said in a low voice. 

“How do you know it is?” inquired Jack. 

“I’m sure of it because the Apaches told me 
all about it and they had a rumor that this 
strange man they told me about had obtained 
possession of it. Certainly it brought bad luck 
to Jake.” 

“Are you sure this is your old pard?” in- 
quired Alfred. 


45 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


“I know it is. Of course lie’s changed. His 
whiskers have grown wild and so has his hair, 
but there’s no mistaking old Jake. Poor fel- 
low, I never thought he would come to an end 
like this.” 

“What are we going to do now?” inquired 
Jack in a low voice. 

‘ ‘ There ’s only one thing we can do, ’ ’ replied 
Zach. “And that is to pile all the brush we 
can get around the body and then set fire to the 
cabin.” 

“But we ought to make a thorough search of 
the cabin,” suggested Jack, “before we do 
anything like that. We may find some papers 
or things that are valuable that he has stored 
here.” 

‘ * That ’s all right, ’ ’ said Zach quickly. ‘ ‘ Let ’s 
begin our search right away.” 

A careful examination was at once made of 
the contents of the rude little cabin. A little 
uncooked food was found, consisting mostly of 
rice and salt pork. Apparently the dead man 
had had no other clothing than that which he 
had been wearing when his end had come. Zach 
discovered a few papers and among them he 
found a photograph which he exhibited to his 
46 


THE GREAT MEDICINE STONE 


friends as one of himself and Jake when they 
had first come to California so many years be- 
fore. “And now this is the end of him,” de- 
clared Zach, mournfully. “Did you ever see 
such a body?” he inquired as he glanced down 
again at the dead man. 

“He certainly is the biggest man I ever saw,” 
acknowledged Alfred. “I don’t wonder the 
Apaches were afraid of him, hut what I can’t 
understand is that they should have left this 
Medicine Stone right here in his pocket. Why 
didn’t they search his clothes or take his 
scalp?” 

“I can’t tell you anything about that,” an- 
swered Zach. “They may have been fright- 
ened off.” 

“I don’t believe they have gone very far,” 
said the young engineer. “They may be back 
here any minute.” 

“We’ll wait a couple of hours and then we’ll 
set fire to the ranch and go back to our camp,” 
said Zach. 

It was difficult to obtain sufficient brush for 
their purpose, but at last they succeeded in ob- 
taining a quantity which they thought would be 
47 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


sufficient to cover the dead body. Zach had 
taken possession of the few papers he had found 
and the food was taken outside the building. 
Jack quickly set fire to the brush and in a very 
short time the little building was in flames. • 


CHAPTER V 

THE ATTACK IN THE CANON 

A LFRED had looked down into the face of 
the dead man before it had been covered 
for the last time. Somehow a feeling of intense 
loneliness came over him, intensified by the 
manifest sorrow of Zach. The old prospector 
had seated himself upon the ground near the 
cabin where he buried his face in his hands 
when Jack set fire to the building. 

All three were aware of the increased dan- 
ger from the smoke and the roar of the flames. 
The little building in a moment had become a 
mass of blazing timber, for the wood was dry 
and it had been long since rain had fallen in 
the region. 

Zach in part had recovered from his sorrow 
and as he stood beside the boys watching the 
flames he said, “We must keep watch. The 
Apaches will see the smoke and it will not be 
long before some of them are back here.” 

49 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


“What's the best thing for ns to do?” in- 
quired Jack. 

“It's best for both of yon to go straight back 
to the camp. I'll stay here long enough to see' 
that everything is burned up and then I'll join 
you.” 

“We don't intend to leave you here,” pro- 
tested Alfred. 

“There's no use in your staying and I think 
the danger will be a good deal less for me 
than for you. I know some of these Apaches 
and I don't think they'll touch me.” 

Alfred looked at his brother and after a brief 
hesitation Jack said, “I think Zach is right. 
We've done everything we can to help and 
there'll be less danger for him as well as for 
us if we divide our party.” 

Not a word had been said about the Medicine 
Stone which Zach had placed with the papers 
he had obtained in the cabin and secured them 
in his pocket. 

If the prospector still believed that the own- 
ership or even the presence of the famous stone 
brought ill luck, as he had declared, he betrayed 
no signs of his feeling at this time. 

A few minutes later Jack and his brother once 
50 


THE ATTACK IN THE CANON 


more entered the stream and started on their 
return through the passageway underneath the 
mountain. 

They successfully made their way to the op- 
posite side and as they once more regained the 
bank of the stream they both were thoroughly 
tired by their efforts in working their way 
against the swift current. For a brief time 
they remained seated upon a rock on the bor- 
der of the stream before Jack said, “Well, Alf, 
if you’re rested I think we had better go on.” 

“I’m ready,” replied the boy promptly, as 
he arose and prepared to follow his brother. 

They had gone as far as the flat table-land 
where they had seen the fantastic images re- 
flected on its walls a brief time before and 
soon would arrive at the exit of the gorge. 

Once more they seated themselves for a brief 
rest, both being so wearied by their efforts that 
neither was reluctant to follow Jack’s sugges- 
tion for a short respite. 

At that moment, however, while they were 
thinking of the fate of poor, old Jake, they 
suddenly heard far down the valley a chorus of 
wild yells. Instantly the boys sprang to their 
feet and a moment later a horseman came with- 
51 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


in their view. He was mounted upon a fleet 
pony which apparently was able to pick his way 
among the rough and scattered bowlders in the 
canon. 

Behind him came a half dozen Indians, all 
mounted and at intervals emitting wild cries 
that must have terrified the fugitive. 

Fascinated by the sight both boys watched 
the exciting race. The white man plainly was 
hard pressed, hut apparently was holding his 
own until he arrived at the point directly op- 
posite that upon which the boys were standing. 
It was evident that his horse was nearly winded. 
Alfred was trembling in his excitement, fear- 
ful that he was about to witness a tragedy like 
those of which he had read years before in 
the accounts of the experiences of the settlers 
in the far west. It now was one man facing 
fearful odds. The combat was certain to be 
one-sided and brief. 

Alfred’s heart thrilled as he watched the 
white man who apparently was cool and not 
in the least terrified by the fearful odds he was 
facing. 

The fugitive now turned his wearied horse 
directly toward the place where Alfred and 
52 


THE ATTACK IN THE CANON 


his brother was standing, bnt it was speedily 
evident he would not be able to gain the shelter. 

The Indians by this time were aware of the 
plight of the man whom they were chasing. 
Wild cries came from them and there were fre- 
quent discharges of their rifles and occasional 
volleys of arrows all of which came short of 
their mark. A wild whoop terrifying in its 
shrill and weird sound frequently was given by 
the Apaches who evidently believed that the 
fugitive was now their victim. 

Suddenly the boys saw the man leap from 
the back of his horse and dart behind the shel- 
ter of a rock. They saw that he was holding 
a revolver in either hand and before the In- 
dians had sufficient time to recover from their 
surprise four shots rang out and two of the 
Apaches fell or slid from the backs of their 
horses. 

Evidently startled by the unexpected attack 
the remaining Apaches turned and putting their 
horses into their swiftest paces endeavored to 
retrace their way up the valley. It was late, 
however, for their effort, for the stranger bring- 
ing his rifle to his shoulder fired and another 
Apache fell from the back of his horse. 

53 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


One of the ponies free now from its rider had 
fled toward the very place where the spectators 
were excitedly watching the contest. 

“I’m going to get that pony,” said Alfred 
in a low voice to his brother. 

“All right,” assented Jack, “butj)e careful, 
you may have your troubles. ’ ’ 

Quickly Alfred slid down from the rock and 
leaping from stone to stone soon came to the 
place where the Indian’s pony had halted and 
stood snorting and pawing the ground in its ex- 
citement. 

Approaching the trembling animal Alfred 
speedily discovered that the pony either was 
too tired or did not have sufficient curiosity 
to resent the efforts of the lad to quiet him, 
as he patted him gently on the neck and spoke 
softly to the frightened animal. In a brief time 
Alfred had quieted the pony to such an extent 
that it followed him without protest as he called 
to his brother, “I’m going down the canon. 
Come along.” 

“Go on,” called Jack. “I’ll be with you in 
a few minutes.” 

When Alfred came to the exit and stopped 
to look all about him he was startled when he 
54 


THE ATTACK IN THE CANON 

saw far below him six more Indians all mounted 
and apparently making their way up the canon. 
Did they know of the presence of the white man 
and had they planned to attack him from both 
sides at the same time? 

Alfred was unaware whether or not his pres- 
ence had been discovered. He was fully aware, 
however, that it was necessary for him to find 
some hiding place if possible. 

Instantly turning about he led the pony back 
over the way he had come, planning to rejoin 
his brother and explain to him the danger from 
below which he had suddenly discovered. 

The pony was almost exhausted. The poor 
beast was breathing with difficulty and its heav- 
ing flanks were mute evidences of the agony 
it was suffering. Alfred had not gone far on 
his way before he was aware that he must 
either abandon the horse and proceed alone or 
that he must find a place of refuge where both 
might be concealed. 

Looking about him he discovered a huge rock 
near the right side of the canon. Between this 
rock and the main cliff there was an open space 
at least two yards in width. Abruptly he de- 
cided that he would lead the pony there and 
55 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


wait until the approaching Apaches had passed 
on or if they did not come, he w’ould know that 
they had turned back in their course. 

The pony willingly followed and as soon as 
they had gained the shelter Alfred released 
the bridle rein from the pony’s head, leaving 
it free. He had no fear that the exhausted ani- 
mal would attempt to escape. Besides, he had 
noticed that the cliff or open space between 
the rocks was much more narrow as it went on. 
There was therefore no possibility of the horse 
escaping unless it should dash past him and of 
that Alfred now had no fear. 

The minutes passed slowly and the sun sank 
lower in the western sky. It was now the mid- 
dle of the afternoon and Alfred was aware that 
when night came it would come suddenly. 

Still he waited for the coming of the red 
men. A half hour passed and there was no sign 
of their approach. He remained another half 
hour and still they did not come. No word 
meanwhile had come from his brother and Al- 
fred was uncertain what had befallen Jack. 

His confidence, however, in the ability of his 
brother now to protect himself if another at- 
tack should be made against him and his un- 
56 


THE ATTACK IN, THE CANON 

known comrade caused kirn to decide after a 
brief hesitation that his best plan would be to 
return to camp and there await the coming of 
Jack. It was true the Apaches might still be 
waiting near the exit and in that event he was 
aware that his peril would be greatly increased. 

However, as soon as he decided to return he 
at once started. The pony was rested by this 
time and without any pulling back followed 
when Alfred slipped his arm through the bridle 
rein and began his descent. 

Cautiously he picked his way over the rocky 
ground until he came near the exit. There he 
halted and flung the bridle rein over the head 
of the pony. He left the horse and cautiously 
advanced until he was able to see far below him. 
Not a sign of the presence of the Indians could 
he discover. Apparently they had departed 
from the place. Alfred, however, recalled the 
stories which Zach had told of the ability of 
the Apaches to disguise themselves in their 
hiding places until it was almost impossible for 
an inexperienced man to distinguish between 
them and the rocks behind which they were 
hiding. The fact, however, that no ponies were 
near led Alfred to believe that they had gone, 
57 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


He returned to the place where he had left 
the horse and found the animal which had not 
moved from the place where it had been left. 

Quickly taking the bridle rein Alfred once 
more resumed his descent. The passage was 
not steep and as he came nearer the exit the 
bowlders v(ere less troublesome. When once 
more he stood at the exit where it was possible 
for him to see far before him he again stopped 
and did his utmost to discover whether or not 
any of his foes were still lurking in the vicinity. 
The silence of the day was unbroken. Indeed, 
the silence was so oppressive that Alfred de- 
clared he could almost feel it. The cloudless 
sky, the yellow sunlight, the occasional trees 
that were growing between the crevices of the 
rocks, the weird sight of the bleak mountain- 
sides all were impressive and added to the de- 
pression which for the moment crept over the 
boy. To all appearances he was alone in the 
great wilderness. 

Arousing himself from his meditations Alfred 
at once began the further descent. Not an In- 
dian did he discover nor had he been molested 
when at last he safely returned to the place 
where he had left his own pony. 

58 


THE ATTACK IN THE CANON 


Mounting His horse Alfred cut the bridle rein 
of the Indian pony in such a way that the ani- 
mal was still fast and yet dropped two yards 
behind as it followed the lead. 

He was surprised when he arrived at the 
camp to discover that Zach already was there. 
The prospector, however, was disinclined to 
talk and after Alfred had asked him two or 
three questions he abandoned his attempt to 
seek any further information concerning the 
events at Jake’s cabin after he and his brother 
had departed. 

Abruptly Zach turned upon the boy and said, 
“Where’s Jack?” 

6 1 Up the canon, ’ ’ answered Alfred. And then 
he told of the exciting adventure through which 
he and his brother had passed and of the ar- 
rival and fight of the stranger. 

“Who was he?” inquired Zach. 

“I don’t know. I never saw him before.” 

Zach was silent for a moment and then said, 
“I’m telling you, lad, that some bad luck has 
come to Jack. That Medicine Stone always 
brings it. I have half a mind to throw it away. ’ ’ 
As he spoke Zach took from his pocket the glis- 
tening stone which he had found in Jake’s 
59 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


pocket and drew back his arm as if he was about 
to cast it from him. 

Apparently the effort was more than he was 
able to accomplish, for after gazing again at 
the glistening stone he thrust it once more into 
his pocket and turned again to Alfred. 


CHAPTER VI 

THE MEETING IN THE CAYE 

S TRANGE your brother doesn’t show up. 
What do you think has happened to him?” 
“I don’t know,” replied Alfred, uneasily. 
He thought for a moment of the last time he 
had seen Jack when he had left him with the 
stranger who had crossed the gorge and joined 
him after the Apaches had abandoned their 
pursuit. 

“He ought to have been here long before 
this,” said the lad, thoughtfully. 

“That’s right. I don’t know but that one 
or both of us better go back and look him up e 
He may have had an accident.” 

“Or worse.” 

“Of course that’s possible,” assented Zach, 
“but the probabilities are that the Apaches gave 
up the chase after that man turned on them 
the way you said he did.” 

“But they might havef Icome around and 
caught him when he came out of the canon. 
61 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


They have a trick like that, I’ve heard yon say . ’ 9 

“Whatever I said isn’t half the trick. I’ve 
been among these hills a good many years, but 
I haven’t learned yet to spot an Apache when 
he is hiding behind a rock or a cactus bush.” 

“I think I’ll take one of the ponies and go 
back to the canon,” suggested Alfred. “I’ve 
been on the move pretty much all day and I’m 
getting used to it. Zach,” he demanded turn- 
ing upon the prospector as he spoke, ‘ 4 did you 
ever hear the motto of the Restless Club?” 

“Of the which?” 

“Of the Restless Club.” 

“What kind of a club is that?” 

“Oh, it was a club made up of a lot of people 
who called themselves travelers.” 

“Humph,” ejaculated the prospector. “I’ve 
seen some of them out here. Every one is a 
tenderfoot. He can’t ride a bronco or swing a 
pick or tell gold from pyrites. I know all about 
those ‘travelers.’ ” 

“Do you know what their motto is?” 

“Can’t say that I do.” 

“Their motto is ‘Anywhere but Here.’ ” 

“I’ve seen lots of people that have a motto 
like that.” 


62 


THE MEETING IN THE CAYE 


4 'Even prospectors?” suggested Alfred with 
a smile. 

“Yes, even prospectors.” 

It was now late in the afternoon. Alfred 
was much more anxious concerning his brother 
than he had acknowledged. He said no more 
to the older man, but selecting a pony he leaped 
upon its back and at once started toward the 
canon wdiere he had last seen his brother. 

Once more when he approached the bleak en- 
trance he dismounted and hiding his pony 
among the rocks he looked carefully to his re- 
volver and the rifle which he carried and then 
resolutely started on his way up the gorge. 

It was difficult climbing. Not only had Alfred 
to watch his steps carefully, but he was in a 
continual fear of an attack by some unseen 
enemy. 

From the actions he had seen it was likely 
that the Apaches were on the warpath as Zach 
had suggested, and yet only a few days before 
this time Alfred had stopped with his brother, 
Jack, at one of the camps and the courtesy with 
which they had been treated was still a memory 
fresh in his mind. 

He was mindful too of the stories the pros- 
63 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


pector had told of the ability of these Apaches 
to conceal themselves while they were lying in 
wait for the approach of an enemy. Every rock 
might be a hiding place. The stunted trees 
and the occasional brush which he saw near the 
end of the gorge were places that he glanced at 
with keen interest, his grip upon his revolver 
tightening as he stopped to peer intently before 
him. 

And there were many of these stops. Wea- 
ried as Alfred was by the experiences of the 
day he found his efforts soon increased the diffi- 
culty of climbing over the rocks. He made fre- 
quent stops on the plea of making sure that no 
enemies were in the immediate vicinity, but his 
real reason for stopping was due to weariness. 

As he proceeded the only sounds that greeted 
his ears were those which he himself made as 
he crawled among the rocks or climbed over 
the great bowlders. The very air was oppres- 
sive. He now was able to see the sky directly 
above him which was shining brightly upon the 
great, bleak rocks that extended as far as his 
eye could see. There were precipices, too, 
along the border of the canon and Alfred pic- 
64 


THE MEETING IN THE CAVE 

tured to himself the result which would follow 
a leap over their dizzy heights. 

Above one of these sheer rocks he saw a buz- 
zard lazily circling. The sight was not a wel- 
come one, although Alfred was unable to de- 
cide whether the buzzard was approaching to 
feed on bodies already dead or whether he was 
waiting for his opportunity to fall upon those 
who might soon be lifeless. The entire scene 
was one that depressed the lad, but he resolutely 
did his utmost to banish such thoughts from 
his mind and continue on his way. A shrill cry 
like the call of a wolf broke in upon the still- 
ness. Alfred stopped abruptly to note if the 
call was answered. Apparently the one shrill 
cry did not awaken any response and Alfred re- 
sumed his efforts to move rapidly up the gorge. 

At last he came within sight of the table rock 
where he had last seen his brother. In his 
eagerness he moved forward more rapidly, but 
as he came near he was convinced that Jack 
was no longer there. Alfred climbed the rock 
and looked all about him, but not a trace of his 
brother did he find. He put his finger to his 
lips and emitted a shrill whistle. The weird 
65 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


call was echoed and reechoed but there was no 
answering sound. Jack had gone. 

“It may be that he has gone back to the 
camp,” Alfred said to himself, striving to allay 
his own fears. 

As he did not meet his brother on the way 
and it was certain that he had not gone back 
to the camp before him the boy was well aware 
that his surmises were little more than expres- 
sions of the wish in his heart. It was evident 
that Jack was not in the vicinity. 

Uncertain which direction to follow, Alfred 
remained standing upon the rock, gazing first 
up and then down the canon hoping that some- 
where among its bleak and desolate sides he 
would discover his missing brother. As the 
minutes passed, however, he became convinced 
that Jack had departed from the spot and with 
the hope in his mind that he would find him 
when he returned to the camp Alfred prepared 
to leap from the place of observation and re- 
turn to the rock behind which he had tethered 
his horse. 

Before he did so, however, he walked around 
the corner where the flat rock became much 
more narrow. He had not gone far before he 
66 


THE MEETING IN THE CAVE 


was aware that that he was standing near the 
entrance to a cave. Just how far hack the cav- 
ern extended into the mountain it was impos- 
sible to see. The appearance, however, was 
such as to lead him to believe that there was a 
large cave here, like the one into which he and 
his brother had been taken by Zach a day or 
two before this time. 

Again Alfred was impressed by the sight of 
glittering walls. The very place seemed to 
be lined with jewels. The light from the low 
sun fell upon some of these spots and flashed as 
Alfred never had seen it before. As he looked 
above him the cave seemed to reach up into 
the interior of the mountain. Perhaps, he 
thought, * 4 this is the cave that Zach told me 
about where he was sure there was gold to be 
found / 9 

Alfred smiled as he recalled the words of 
the old prospector, who was always hopeful, ex- 
pecting every day that he was going to strike 
the vein which would make him independently 
rich. Thus far the day had not arrived, but 
as Alfred glanced about him in the cave in which 
he now found himself, for he was standing just 
within the entrance, the thought that gold might 
67 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


be discovered in the place was not unreasonable. 

He was startled from bis meditation, how- 
ever, by the sound of voices. Men plainly 
were approaching the place and if Alfred could 
believe the evidence of his own ears they were 
white men. 

“This is the place I was telling you about/ ’ 
he heard one of them say. “If we don’t find 
gold here, then there isn’t any gold in Arizona.” 

Alfred had darted behind an immense stalag- 
mite, which like a huge pillar seemed to sup- 
port the walls of the glistening place. It was 
well, he decided, to ascertain who these men 
were before he revealed himself. The very fact 
that they were looking for gold indicated to 
the excited boy that they were men of a char- 
acter who would not lightly have their plans 
interrupted. If they believed that Alfred had 
preceeded them in his search for gold they 
would have no scruples in ridding themselves 
of his presence in a way that was likely to be 
dangerous. 

He now was able to see the men who were 
standing in the mouth of the cave. He counted 
them and discovered that there were five in the 
band. Were these the men of whom Zach had 
68 


THE MEETING IN THE CAVE 


spoken when he said that he knew that several 
prowling hands of prospectors were working 
in the Devil ’s Canon? Although the light was 
not clear Alfred saw that the men were rough 
and might be dangerous. They were talking in 
low tones and in a brief time advanced into the 
cavern led by one whose name, he concluded, 
must be Tim Fee, as he was addressed by that 
title several times. 1 A second man was Tom 
McGuinness, but the names of the others were 
not mentioned. 

“Pm telling you,” said Tim, 4 4 that this is 
the most likely spot in all these mountains. 
We’ll strike oil or gold here.” 

4 4 One is enough at a time,” growled the one 
who was known as Tom McGuinness. 4 4 You’ve 
had a good deal to say about gold, now I want 
you to make good.” 

44 I can’t make gold. All I can do is to take 
you to places where I think we ’re likely to find 
a vein,” retorted Tim grimly. 4 4 We ’ll have to 
be lively, too, because the Apaches are right 
after us.” 

4 4 I’ve seen all I want of them,” growled Tom. 
4 4 The little devils are dancing around like a lot 
of imps on a hot pan.” 

69 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


“If they suspect that we’re here you’ll think 
they’re worse than imps,” retorted Tom, “and 
in my opinion they’re right on the warpath 
too. They’ve been stirred up again. They say 
they don’t get any show on their farm lands 
because they can’t get any water. All the 
ranches around here have water but they can’t 
get any, so they say they’re going to fight and 
take their rights, if the white men won’t give 
them to them.” 

“That’s all stuff and you know it, Tim Fee,” 
said McGuinness angrily. “There isn’t any- 
thing you can do what will satisfy an Apache. 
If you give him a horse he wants a gun, if 
you give him a gun he wants whisky, though 
I must say that this mescal they make gets me 
quicker than any hard stuff I ever tasted. What 
did you say they made it of?” 

“Cactus. It’ll tear right up through a man’s 
hair. It’ll shake every bone in his body. You 
take any Apache when he is loaded up with a 
rifle, bow and arrows and then fill him half full 
of this stuff, and you have come nearer to a 
fiend than anything that ever was made.” 

“Well, they’re right on the warpath now, 
anyway.” 


70 


THE MEETING IN THE CAVE 

“You're right they are. Before Uncle Sam 
knows what he's up against that fellow 
Geronimo will get him." 

“They may be coming here," suggested Mo- 
Guinness. 

“Of course they may come here. That's one 
reason why I've been trying to get you to hurry 
up." 

“Hold on," suggested McGuinness. “I've 
got a better plan for striking gold than you 
have." 

“Huh," retorted Tim. “You’ve never 
struck gold once in your life." 

“No, but I have my chance now and so have 
you." 

“What is it?" 

“Why, it's simple as falling off a log. All 
we have got to do is to wait until these Apaches 
get going good and strong on the warpath and 
then we'll creep back and make a haul in their 
villages. We'll get ponies and blankets and 
maybe a lot of gold. At any rate we can trade 
the ponies for gold. I think we're a good deal 
more likely to strike the yellow stuff that way 
than we are to follow you into this hole in the 
ground." 


71 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


“ Maybe so,” acknowledged Tim. “I never 
was much of a sneak thief though.” 

“That’s all that your Indian chief is.” 

“That’s right,” acknowledged Tim, “but you 
see Geronimo winds all the Apaches right 
around his little finger. He isn ’t really a chief 
at all. Natchez is really the chief, but 
Geronimo has Natchez and all the rest of them 
tied right to his belt. What he says do, they 
do, and my opinion is that he has already told 
them to fight for their rights. Come on now 
and we’ll see what we can find in this cave.” 


CHAPTER VII 

A HOLE IN THE GKOUND 

LFRED was keenly excited by the conver- 



xl sation which he had overheard. Already 
he had learned from Zach of the influence which 
Greronimo held over the Apaches. As the men 
turned to go further within the cave Tim was 
saying, “I want you all to see this place here. 
I didn’t lie to you. You can see for yourselves 
that this is just the spot where gold would be 
founds 9 

The men now passed beyond the hearing of 
Alfred, but the lad decided that he would re- 
main in his hiding place for a time and if the 
prospectors should return he might learn more 
of their plans and discoveries. 

His first impulse had been to follow them 
within the cave, but as he had no light and 
the darkness would soon be at hand he was 
fearful that he might stumble and betray his 
presence. What the result would be if the men 
should be alarmed or led to believe that some 


73 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


one was spying upon their activities, he fully 
understood. They were a desperate band, if 
their looks did not belie them. 

To the great surprise of Alfred the party 
returned within a half hour. Their conversa- 
tion, which was only occasional, was carried on 
in such low tones that he was unable to over- 
hear what they said. Apparently, however, 
they had no suspicion that anyone was near, or 
had been listening to the statement of the 
leader. 

As the men turned away from the entrance 
to the cave, Alfred suddenly decided to follow 
them. He was greatly excited over Tim’s an- 
nouncement that gold would be found, although 
he was positive that they had not made any 
discoveries in the dim light which now rested 
over the entire region. 

Peering cautiously from the rock at the en- 
trance to the cave Alfred discovered the men 
moving up the gorge and now were more than 
fifty feet away. Carrying out his decision to 
follow them he darted swiftly from rock to 
rock to overtake them so that he might learn 
more concerning the results of their investiga- 
tions. 


74 


A HOLE IN THE GKOUND 


He had been able to approach within thirty 
yards of the men when suddenly they stopped 
and Alfred heard Tim say, “This is where he 
promised to meet me.” 

At the statement the leader and his compan- 
ions seated themselves upon the adjacent rock, 
acting as if they were prepared to wait for a 
considerable time. 

Crouching behind the huge bowlder Alfred 
peered at the men before him and did his ut- 
most to hear what they said. Meanwhile ques- 
tions were in his mind, due to the statement of 
Tim that he was expecting some one to meet 
him at the spot where he was waiting. Were 
these men in league with the Apaches! From 
some statements the leader had made and his 
evidently close relations with certain of the 
Indian leaders, Alfred was persuaded that there 
was more in the meeting than appeared upon 
the surface. It was difficult now for him to 
hear the men, who were above him. In his 
eagerness he decided to creep nearer the place 
where they were seated. 

About half the distance between the rock 
which was his refuge and the place where the 
men were waiting was another bowlder which 
75 


THE APACHE CHIEF 

looked as if it had been torn by some mighty 
hand from its resting place in the mountain and 
in anger hurled into the bottom of the canon. 
Alfred decided that he would try to advance 
to this rock. It would afford him ample pro- 1 
tection and bring him so much nearer the pros- 
pectors that he was hopeful that he might be 
able to hear their conversation. 

Crouching low he stealthily advanced, stop- 
ping frequently and trusting to the dim light 
and the numerous rocks in the bottom of the 
canon to prevent him from being discovered by 
the men before him. 

Suddenly a stone slipped from under his 
foot and began to roll down the smooth rock 
behind him. The sound was heard by the men 
and instantly every one sprang to his feet and 
listened. 

Alfred was convinced that the time had come 
for him to depart. Instantly turning he began 
to run at his swiftest pace, darting from rock 
to rock and leaping across spaces that appar- 
ently seemed beyond his power to cover. 

Loud calls greeted the discovery of his pres- 
ence and shouts for him to stop were heard but 
all were disregarded. Somehow the boy was 
76 


A HOLE IN THE GROUND 


convinced that he was running for his life. Two 
shots were fired by the men, hut neither came 
near the fleeing boy. He was eager to regain 
the mountain side where his pony was await- 
ing his coming. Escape would then he easy and 
the thought added fresh courage to Alfred as 
he endeavored to increase the speed at which 
he was running. 

As he turned his head to discover if his pur- 
suers were gaining upon him Alfreds foot 
slipped and before he was fully aware of his 
misfortune he found himself slipping, sliding, 
falling into what he soon discovered was a large 
circular excavation in the valley. He had no- 
ticed this place in a former visit, but in his 
eagerness to escape he had drawn too near the 
border and had fallen into the depths below. 

Aside from a Bruised leg he speedily discov- 
ered when he landed that he had not suffered 
any severe misfortune. He found himself in a 
hole not unlike a well. It was about fifteen feet 
in diameter, but when he tried to climb up its 
sides he speedily found himself unable to make 
any progress. There were rough rocks near 
the top, but in the lower part the walls were 
77 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


as smooth as if they had been fashioned by the 
hand of man. 

Instantly recalled to his peril, Alfred decided 
to remain where he was until the men passed 
on. If they had seen him fall then there would 
be no question as to what action they would 
take. His hope now was that in the dim light 
they had not seen him when he had disappeared. 

When an hour had elapsed and night had 
eome he was confident that the men were igno- 
rant of his presence in the place into which he 
had fallen. There was slight relief, however, 
in the thought because Alfred was well aware 
that if he should be unable to climb to the 
ground above him he might remain in the ex- 
cavation for days. Perhaps he never would be 
found. 

The thought was alarming and in his des- 
peration the lad was almost tempted to try to 
escape at once. But the fear of the men whose 
talk he had overheard and the dimness of the 
light which hid the possibilities caused him at 
last to decide to remain where he then was. 
There was nothing to be done except to await 
the coming of the morning. 

Convinced that this must be the outcome of 
78 


A HOLE IN THE GROUND 


his adventure Alfred did his best to control his 
feelings and secure such comfort as could be 
obtained until the sun arose. 

As the hours slowly passed the chill of the 
night increased until the boy was trembling at 
times almost as from an ague. He thrashed 
his arms above his shoulders and rubbed his 
hands in an effort to gain some warmth, but 
when at last the long night was gone and the 
first faint streaks of daylight appeared he was 
almost numb with the cold. And the ther- 
mometer on the preceeding day at noon could 
not have registered less than 105 degrees! 

When the light had returned in full force, 
Alfred at once began to look about his prison 
walls for projecting points by which he might 
climb in his efforts to gain the upper air. He 
was appalled, however, when he saw that for 
six feet or more the surface was smooth and 
there was nothing which he could grasp. 

For a moment the conviction flashed into his 
mind that he was destined to remain where he 
was for days and that in all possibility his 
presence would not be discovered. 

In his alarm he shouted loudly calling for 
help. The sound of his voice, however, seemed 
79 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


to be smothered and when he increased his ef- 
forts he was still puzzled to know whether or 
not the call could have been heard far away 
in the canon. He placed his finger in his mouth 
and whistled shrilly several times. After his 
effort he waited, listening intently for any re- 
sponse. 

Even the return of the men whom he had seen 
the preceding night in the cave would be a re- 
lief. At least they could assist him to escape 
from the place into which he had fallen. 

The hours passed slowly and although at in- 
tervals of a few minutes the desperate lad did 
his utmost to make known his presence the ef- 
forts all were vain. No one approached the 
place into which he had fallen nor was any 
answer given to the cries for help which he 
sent forth. 

Throughout the long day that followed he con- 
tinued his efforts, but when night once more 
fell his fears were greatly increased. He had 
not had a mouthful of food nor any water, and 
he had been weary too, before he had met with 
his misfortune. 

Alfred slept only at intervals during the 
night that followed but hope returned with 
80 


A HOLE IN THE GROUND 


the coming of the morning. Again he made 
desperate efforts to climb up the side of the 
great hole. He had used his knife the pre- 
ceding day in his efforts to cut footholds into 
the rock, but all his efforts had failed. There 
were projecting stones above him, but it was 
impossible for him to obtain a grip upon them. 
He had tried so many times that he was now 
convinced escape in that manner was impos- 
sible. 

His throat was parched and dry and his voice 
sounded strangely hoarse when once more he 
sent forth his calls for help. 

To his great surprise as well as delight, his 
loud call was answered promptly. In a brief 
time he saw peering over the edge of the ground 
above him the face of a man who plainly was 
a stranger. 

“Come on. Come on and help me,” called 
Alfred in desperation. 

“How many are in there!” asked the man. 

“Only one. Pm the only one here.” 

1 ‘ Can ’t you climb out ! ’ 9 

“No, if I could I would have been out of this 
hole long ago.” 

“I’ll see what can be done,” shouted the 
81 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


strange man and the face speedily disappeared. 

In his impatience it seemed to Alfred that 
the man had left him and had no thought of 
attempting a rescue. The minutes dragged so 
slowly that he lost all sense of time. When 
at last he heard again the friendly voice above 
him it seemed as if long hours intervened. 

Eager now that help had come he listened as 
the man called to him, “I have a lariat here. 
If I drop it you place it around your body un- 
der your arms . 9 9 

“Til do it,” called Alfred. 

Without any further words the man at once 
lowered the long leather rope, in the end of 
which knots had been tied. 

In his eagerness Alfred fumbled this noose 
several times in his efforts to adjust it, but 
after a brief time he succeeded and called to 
the waiting man, “Fm all ready now.” 

* i Hang on and keep your nerve , 9 9 retorted the 
waiting man. 1 ‘ Don ’t get scared, whatever hap- 
pens. I’ll have you out of there in no time.” 

Acting promptly upon his word the man at 
once began to pull upon the sturdy, leather 
rope. Slowly and steadily Alfred rose from 
82 


A HOLE IN THE GROUND 


the ground until he was able to obtain a foot- 
hold among the projecting stones. 

1 * Keep away from the stone! Keep off!” 
warned the man above and Alfred at once did 
his utmost to obey. 

In spite of all he could do, however, he saw 
that the lariat was being worn by rubbing along 
the edges of some of the projecting stones. His 
alarm increased with every foot that he rose. 
What if the rope should break and let him fall 
once more into the deep hole ? In that event he 
was aware that it was doubtful if he would be 
as fortunate as in his previous descent. Almost 
fascinated by the sight he watched the spot 
where the friction was wearing the lariat until 
it seemed almost impossible for him to gain the 
top before it would part. He attempted to 
grasp the projecting rocks in an effort to obtain 
a new foothold. His efforts, however, were un- 
availing because the side was uneven and at 
times he would be swung free from the rock 
and then flung back against it. 

He was now not more than four feet from the 
solid ground above him. 

“Be careful. Be careful,” he called anx- 
iously. “Your lariat is almost worn through.” 
83 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


No response was made to his call and the 
steady pull upon the rope was maintained. 

Suddenly a stronger pull and longer was 
made and Alfred felt his wrists grasped by the 
outstretched hands of a man who was lying ex- 
tended at full length on the ground above him. 


CHAPTER VIII 

THE MISSING MEDICINE STONE 

T HE excited boy was lifted above the ground 
and instantly was aware that his rescuer 
was a stranger. Beside the man, however, his 
brother Jack was standing and not far away 
was a young Indian whom Alfred was positive 
was an Apache. Aware as he was of the re- 
ported uprising of the tribe it was difficult for 
him to account for the presence of the young 
brave who evidently was not painted for the 
warpath. 

The relief, however, at his rescue was so 
great that ignoring the others he turned quickly 
to Jack and said, “You were just in time.” 

“How long have you been in there ?” 

' “To the best of my recollection part of one 
day, two nights, another whole day and this 
morning. Have you got anything to eat or some 
water? I haven’t had a mouthful of anything 
to eat or to drink since I’ve been in here.” 
Fortunately the stranger had some hardtack 
85 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


which he instantly gave Alfred and then the 
young Indian ventured a suggestion that water 
could be had only a few yards away. 

The little party at once moved to the place 
which the Apache had indicated and after Al- 
fred had drunk from the little mountain stream 
and taken a few bites of the hardtack he turned 
again to his brother and said, “Go ahead, I’m 
ready to answer any questions.” 

1 1 What were you doing in there !” demanded 
Jack. 

“I wasn’t doing anything in there except 
trying to get out. I was running away from a 
crowd that went into the cave back yonder.” 

“What kind of a crowd! Were they 
Apaches!” demanded Jack. 

“No, they were worse. They were old pros- 
pectors or miners and the toughest gang I ever 
saw. I had an idea that two of them were 
stringing the rest of them, trying to make them 
believe that there was gold to be found in that 
cave . 9 9 

“Did they know you were there!” 

“They did not, at least for a long time. I 
was hiding behind the rocks and couldn’t help 
hearing what was said. Later when I tried to 
86 


THE MISSING MEDICINE STONE 


get away they saw me and chased me. I slipped 
and fell into this hole but I was lucky after all 
for they didn’t see me and went right past. I 
thought I was all right until later when I tried 
to get out. The walls around the bottom of 
that hole are perfectly smooth and I couldn’t 
get a grip on anything. If you hadn’t come 
along just now I don’t know what would have 
become of me.” 

i 6 It’s rather fortunate for you,” remarked 
Jack, dryly. “ We’ve been searching for twen- 
ty-four hours and had about made up out minds 
that the Apaches had taken you. We were 
going to start for the village and make a de- 
mand for them to give you up, but I’m glad 
we shan’t have to do that. I think we should 
have had our troubles in getting into the vil- 
lage and more trouble in getting them to give 
you up.” 

“I left my pony down below,” explained Al- 
fred. 

il Yes, we found him there. We left him over- 
night thinking that perhaps you might be com- 
ing along later, but when you didn’t show up 
the next morning we started out on a search and 
we cut your pony loose and let him go.” 

87 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


‘ ‘ Tell me, ’ 9 said Alfred quickly. ‘ 4 Wliat hap- 
pened to you and that man that came down 
the canon? He was running away from the 
Apaches .’ 9 

“He certainly was,” said Jack with a smile, 
“but he didn’t stay long with me. He said he 
was looking for the great Medicine Stone, which 
he believed some one up here in the canon had 
taken away from the old hermit. We don’t want 
to stay here any longer and the best thing we 
can do is to get back to camp.” 

“Are you still camping in the same place?” 

“Yes, we keep a watch now because we don’t 
know what the Apaches may do, but Zach is 
sure they wouldn’t attack us as we don’t be- 
long in this country. I didn’t agree with him 
myself, for what I have heard of their perform- 
ances makes me think they wouldn’t stop at any- 
thing or anybody.” 

“Who is that chap?” inquired Alfred in a 
low voice as he nodded toward the young 
Apache who was seated on a rock a few yards 
away and apparently was unmindful of what 
was occurring within the canon.” 

“I don’t know who he is. I don’t even know 
his name,” answered Jack. “He joined me 
88 


THE MISSING- MEDICINE STONE 


about two hours ago and said that he was 
friendly to the whites and didn’t believe in 
Geronimo going on the warpath again. He 
told me about the long fight the Apaches had 
with General Crook and his men. You know the 
Apaches led the soldiers a merry chase. They 
went down below the borders of Mexico and al- 
though they kept saying they would stop fight- 
ing and would be good, they were reckless all 
the time. After they had been sent to the 
Reservation, Geronimo said they couldn’t com- 
pete with the white farmers because they could- 
n’t get any water. They are now tearing things 
up and General Crook has asked to be relieved. 
I guess he has had all he wanted of it. Zach 
says he has heard that General Miles is to be 
in charge and from what I have heard I sus- 
pect that if he starts, there won’t be any end 
until the thing is ended right. Come on back 
to the camp now.” 

Alfred, wearied as he was by his trying ex- 
perience, was nevertheless so elated by his res- 
cue that he at once responded and the little 
band started down the valley. 

Alfred was deeply interested in the stranger, 
who hitherto had taken no part in the conver- 
89 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


sation. He glanced also frequently at the young 
Indian, noting his lithe body and evident pow- 
ers of endurance. The dark eyes of the young 
Apache were small and glowing almost as if 
there were flames within them. In spite of the 
words of his brother, Alfred was suspicious and 
was continually watchful as they descended, 
fearful that hidden enemies at some signals 
from the warrior might burst forth from what 
seemed to be the bleak great sides of the canon 
itself. 

Ho unusual experience, however, had befallen 
them when at last they came out of the great 
gorge and started toward their camp. 

Later when they arrived at their destination, 
Zach gazed solemnly at Alfred as he said, “You 
gave us a big scare. Now give us an account 
of yourself.’ ’ At the same time the prospector 
glanced suspiciously at the Apache, who still 
remained with them, having seated himself upon 
the ground as if he were prepared to remain. 

Alfred briefly related the story of his recent 
mishap and then Zach at once began to pre- 
pare breakfast. Without waiting for an invita- 
tion to join in the repast the young Apache 
90 


THE MISSINGr MEDICINE STONE 


promptly took his share when Zach declared 
that all things were ready. 

The stranger who had accompanied the boys, 
whose name they learned now was Wheat, also 
made himself at home after the manner of the 
country. 

When the meal had been eaten, Wheat said, 

“I’ve told this young fellow,’ ’ pointing, as he 
spoke, at Jack, “that I’ve been up here looking 
for that Medicine Stone of the Apaches. There 
was a report that crazy chap, a big fellow, who 
has lived here as a hermit a good many years, 
kept the stone himself, but this lad tells me 
that the hermit is dead.” 

As he spoke Wheat turned first to Jack and 
then again to the prospector. “You haven’t 
any of you heard about it,” he added, “have 
you?” 

There was silence in the group a brief time 
and then Zach said drawlingly, “Did the 
Apaches send you up here to get it?” 

“No, they didn’t.” 

“Did you come up here looking for it?” de- 
manded Zach turned to the young Indian as 
he spoke. 

Alfred suspected that there was a more in- 
91 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


tense glow in the dark eyes of the young war- 
rior, but he made no response to Zach’s query. 

“Let me tell you,” said Zach turning to 
Wheat, “you’re as likely to find that Medicine 
Stone here as you are to find a needle in a hay- 
stack. ’ 9 

“Don’t you believe it!” retorted Wheat, 
“that stone is somewhere and somebody has 
got it. I’m going to find out about both.” 

“Good luck to you,” said Zach as he solemnly 
resumed his duties in the camp. 

Both Alfred and Jack, his brother, had list- 
ened with deep interest to the conversation, for 
both were aware that .Zach had brought the 
stone with him when he had returned from the 
hermit’s camp. 

“What is it about that stone that makes it 
so valuable ?” spoke up Jack. 

“It’s plain you haven’t been very long in 
these parts,” retorted Wheat, “to ask a ques- 
tion like that. The great Medicine Stone is a 
diamond. It’s so clear that when you look into 
it on the first day of any month you can see in 
it what is going to happen to you all through 
that month.” 

“Then I don’t' want it,” laughed Jack. “It’s 

92 


THE MISSING MEDICINE STONE 


hard enough to take things as they come, but 
if I knew all the time what was ahead of me 
for thirty days I would feel like firing that 
stone into the first gully I found.’ ’ 

“No, you wouldn’t,” said Wheat confidently. 
“If you could look into that stone and could 
find out what it could tell you, you would be 
just as glad as any one to use it.” 

“But I have always heard,” protested Jack, 
“that the stone brought bad luck to any one 
that had it. How is that, ZachT’ he added, 
turning to the prospector. 

“That’s the common saying,” answered 
Zach, without glancing at the questioner. 

“Well, if that’s so,” contended Jack, “I don’t 
see what any one wants of it.” 

Conversation ceased for a time and the white 
men were moving about the camp. The young 
Indian, however, had remained on the rock 
where he had first taken his seat when he joined 
the campers. Whether or not he had under- 
stood all that had been said concerning the big 
Medicine Stone was uncertain. Alfred at times 
believed that he did and had been greatly 
aroused by the conversation. 

However, it was not until nightfall that the 

93 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


Indian left the place where he had been seated. 
A little while after he had eaten his full share 
of the supper which Zach prepared, he turned 
to the young engineer and said, 4 4 Me go now.” 

“ Where are you going?” demanded Jack. 

“Me go back.” 

“Are you one of these fool Apaches that’s 
following Geronimo?” demanded Wheat. 

The young Indian turned and glanced scorn- 
fully, almost malignantly, at the questioner, Al- 
fred fancied, and did not reply to the question. 

“He’s a good Apache,” explained Jack, “and 
he isn’t in sympathy with this uprising. He 
says nothing but harm will come to the tribe 
and that it will be the^last of Geronimo and 
Natchez. Evidently he has heard something 
about General Miles.” 

“If he lives long enough he’ll hear more,” 
retorted Wheat. 

“Evidently he needn’t wait until the General 
comes, if he wants to learn some things to his 
advantage. I think you chaps are making a big 
mistake to stay here any longer. The Apaches 
will be swarming up here like bees and when 
they come you’ll have just about as much warn- 
ing, too, as you would from a swarm of bees. 
94 


THE MISSING MEDICINE STONE 


The first thing yon know they *11 light on you 
and it’ll he all over. You can’t push them oft 
and you can’t get rid of them.” 

“Do you think it’s safer for you to be up 
here than for us?” laughed Jack. 

“I don’t believe I’ll be in any danger,” said 
Wheat. 

“You would be if the Apaches thought you 
were trying to find their great Medicine Stone.” 

“Maybe I would. Maybe I would. But they 
don’t know anything about that.” 

“I guess you’ll find that they come pretty 
close to knowing what it really is worth,” 
laughed Jack. “It’s nothing but a big piece of 
rose quartz, though it’s shaped like a ball.” 

“What do you know about it?” demanded 
Wheat abruptly as he turned upon the young 
engineer. 

“Not very much. I never saw it but once.” 

“You saw it? You said you saw it once? 
When was that and where was it?” 

Zach had started up at the unexpected words 
of Jack and approached the place where the two 
were standing. “I don’t mind tellin’ you,” he 
said as he approached, “that he has seen that 
Medicine Stone.” 


95 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


“Then he has seen more than I have. But 
I want to see it worse than he ever did. Have 
you any idea where it is now?” 

“I know where it is,” replied Zach. 

Wheat looked at him earnestly for a moment 
and said, “I believe you have it.” 

“I know I have,” said Zach quietly. 

“Would you mind letting me see it?” 

“Not at all. I’ll get it for you.” 

Zach turned away, but in a few moments he 
returned greatly excited as he said, ‘ 1 The Medi- 
cine Stone has gone and so has that sneaking, 
little Apache.” 


CHAPTER IX 

THE SEARCH FOR THE MEDICINE STONE 

T HE excitement in the little camp was great 
when it was discovered that the Medicine 
Stone as well as the Apache were gone. 

“You’re njaking too much of that stone,” 
suggested Jack to the prospector. 

“You don ’t know what you ’re talking about ! ’ ’ 
retorted Wheat. 

“Of course you don’t,” joined in Zach. “I 
want to find that stone.” 

“You want to find it,” retorted Wheat an- 
grily, turning upon Zach. 

The two men stood glaring at each other for 
a moment, but further trouble was avoided by 
Jack, who tactfully inquired of Zach, “Tell me 
about the stone, anyway. As far as I recall, it 
was nothing but a pretty bit of quartz.” 

“It’s not quartz at all,” spoke up Wheat. 
“It’s a diamond.” 

“Well, whatever it is,” laughed Jack, “it 
97 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


isn’t worth haying a row over. Tell me about 
the stone, anyway.’ ’ 

“Why, it’s this way,” said Wheat promptly. 
“About a hundred years ago an old Apache 
Medicine Man had a vision. He was in a deep 
trance and in his vision he saw a big diamond 
lying in a great river far to the northwest. In 
his vision he was told that the man who got this 
wonderful stone would live forever, providing 
he used it for the good of his people and not 
for any bad things. If a man wasn’t straight 
or if he was working just for himself he was 
told, in his vision, the stone wouldn’t bring him 
any good. It would just be bad luck all the time. 
If he used it in the right way it would protect 
him and his people against their enemies and 
against all the diseases. If any one looked into 
it he could see there what was coming to him 
later.” 

Alfred laughed abruptly and Wheat turned 
angrily upon him. “What are you laughing 
at?” he demanded. “There isn’t anything 
funny in this. ’ ’ 

“I couldn’t help it,” said Alfred apologeti- 
cally. “I was thinking how some men would 
98 


SEARCH FOR THE MEDICINE STONE 


feel if they knew beforehand what was coming 
to them.” 

Disdaining further conversation Wheat re- 
sumed his story. “The old Medicine Man 
finally made the journey away up to the north- 
west. No one ever could tell the hardships and 
the dangers he had to go through, but at last 
he brought back the stone with him and it has 
been with the Apaches now more than one hun- 
dred years.’ ’ 

“And didn’t anybody have any bad luck? 
Didn’t the Apaches have any measles or small- 
pox or didn’t their ponies die?” 

i i They always had good luck when they lived 
up to the promise of the contract. Why, one 
day a mighty tribe of Indians came up from the 
south, from Mexico, I suppose. There were 
about three thousand of them and they attacked 
the Apache village where the Medicine Stone 
was kept. But right in the beginning of the 
fight the Great Medicine Man appeared in the 
midst of the warriors and held up the Medicine 
Stone just as high as he could reach and in such 
a way that its light struck the Indians as they 
came up from the south. Quick as a wink every 
one of them fell down and died.” 

99 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


“Who died?” demanded Alfred, doing his 
best to control himself. 

“Why, of course, those Indians that came up 
from the south. The Apaches took their bodies 
to a cave and I’ve seen the very place.” 

“Where is it?” asked Alfred. 

“ ’Twasn’t very far away from the Apache 
village. It’s there now.” 

“What do you mean?” asked Alfred. “The 
cave or the dead men?” 

“Both,” retorted Wheat with a snort. “The 
name of the place is the Cave of Bones. Not 
very long ago an old Apache Medicine Man 
called the tribe together and told them that he 
had had a vision that trouble of some kind was 
coming to them pretty soon.” 

“That’s not to be wondered at,” suggested 
Alfred. “You said that anybody that looked 
into the stone could see what was coming to 
him. From what I hear, if these Apaches get 
all they deserve they couldn’t have been doing 
much except peeking into that Medicine Stone 
for the last six or eight months.” 

“Never you mind,” retorted Wheat. “It’s 
just as I’m tellin’ you. That old Medicine Man 
told them that there was trouble ahead. They 
100 


SEAECH FOR THE MEDICINE STONE 


were going to lose their Medicine Stone. He 
didn’t tell them exactly how it would be done, 
for his vision wasn’t very clear.” 

“Hold on,” interrupted Alfred once more, 
“I don’t get this. If a man looked into the 
Medicine Stone he could see what was coming, 
couldn’t he?” 

“Yes,” assented Wheat. 

“Well, then, they still had the Medicine 
Stone, didn’t they?” 

“Yes.” 

“Then why didn’t they look into it when they 
had it right in their hands and see what was 
coming and get out of the way of it?” 

“I tried to make it so clear that even a babe 
in arms could understand,” said Wheat scorn- 
fully. “You see if everything wasn ’t right with 
the Medicine Man or with the tribe, why it 
brought bad luck instead of good luck. Now 
do you see?” he demanded. 

“Yes, I think I understand,” said Alfred, 
demurely. “The Apaches were all getting paid 
for their thieving, murdering and other nice, 
little games they liked to play, so that when 
they looked into the stone it didn’t show up 
clearly.” 


101 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


“Precisely.” 

“And yet yon say that you want to find that 
stone?” asked Alfred, his face expressionless. 

“Of course I do.” 

“What will you do with it if you get it?” 

“I don’t want to have to tell you again,” said 
Wheat sharply. “If a man has it he can look 
into it and see what’s ahead of him.” 

“But I thought you said that a man who had 
that had to be all right.” 

“This here Medicine Man I was telling you 
about,” continued Wheat, turning from Alfred 
with a snort of disgust, “said that the Apaches 
were going to lose their Great Medicine Stone. 
There were some people that were going to 
come from a large place on the shore of a great 
water in the west. They would get the stone 
and then they would start for the mountains. 
He told them that all that the Apaches could do 
to get hold of the stone again wouldn’t be any 
use. But they needn’t be worried, for the 
avenging spirit of this old Medicine Man would 
take after the robbers and then, at exactly 
the same time when the Medicine Stone had been 
stolen, each one of the thieves would fall dead. 

102 


SEARCH FOR THE MEDICINE STONE 


Right straight through his heart with his own 
hand he would drive his own knife.’ ’ 

“And do you believe that?” inquired Alfred. 

“Believe it? Of course I believe it.” 

“What made you believe it?” 

Wheat was silent for a moment. “I’ll tell 
you why I believe it,” he said at last. “Ten 
years ago I was in business in San Francisco. 
I had a friend there who was in business, too.- 
He had just one child, a fine boy about twenty 
years old. The boy was out to do something 
big and his father gave up trying to get him to 
settle down in Frisco. About that time there 
came the story that up among the mountains 
somewhere in Arizona or Idaho there was a 
great big diamond that one of the Indian tribes 
had found and thought it was their Great Medi- 
cine Stone. According to the story they had 
twelve of their best warriors guarding it day 
and night. This son of my friend made up his 
mind that he would like to get hold of that 
stone, so he got eleven other friends about his 
age to go with him and they started. ’ 9 

“When did they get back?” inquired Alfred. 

“Now you hold your horses!” retorted 
Wheat. “I’m not through with this story yet. 

103 


THE APACHE CHIEF 

For two months that boy kept his father posted. 
Every little while there would come a letter tell- 
ing about everything that had happened.” 

“Were the mails running regularly at that 
time over the desert!” inquired Alfred, soberly.* 

Ignoring the question, Wheat continued, 
“When these boys came near the land where 
the Indians lived they heard more and more 
stories about the Great Medicine Stone. The 
last letter my friend got from his boy was 
written when he and his friends had gone into 
the camp about two miles from the Indian vil- 
lage. That was the very last letter my friend 
ever had from his boy.” 

“Go on,” said Jack. 

“Well, the days and weeks and months 
passed and still they didn’t get any word. The 
boy did not write again. His poor mother was 
all broken up and ’twasn’t long before she died. 
Then the father waited for a year and didn’t 
hear anything more, but he was full of the idea 
of going up and finding out if his boy really 
was dead. So he set out straight for the Indian 
country. 

“When he got there he found there wasn’t 
but a little left of the tribe. It had just 
104 


SEARCH FOR THE MEDICINE STONE 


dwindled away to almost nothing. An old half- 
breed told him the story of what the stone 
would do, just about the same as I told you. 
My friend hired the half-breed to be his guide. 
He led him along the way that the twelve boys 
had taken who were after the Medicine Stone. 
For six days it seemed the Indians had chased 
the boys and for each day there was a new 
grave, for one of them died every day.” 

4 4 That was hard luck,” said Alfred soberly. 
4 4 Most people find it hard enough to die once, 
but if a man has to die every day ” 

4 4 Oh, keep still, Alfred,” interrupted Jack. 
4 4 Don’t try to guy this man when he’s right in 
the midst of his story.” 

4 4 The strangest part of the whole thing,” con- 
tinued Wheat, 4 4 was that my friend found the 
graves of these six boys and there wasn’t a 
body that had been touched by wind or weather. 
Even the coyotes had kept away from them. 
Every one looked just as if he was asleep.” 

4 4 Maybe the dry air had something to do with 
that,” suggested Alfred. 

But WTieat was no longer to be drawn into 
conversation. He was too deeply interested and 
plainly too thoroughly convinced of the truth- 
105 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


fulness of the story he was telling to heed the 
interruptions. 4 4 My friend continued on his 
search but it was a long time. It was two 
months before he found the next grave and a 
year passed before he found the next one. That 
made eight of the twelve that he could account 
for. Two months later he found another one, 
that was nine. It was two years more before 
he found the tenth, and then three years later 
he found the eleventh. But his boy wasn’t in 
the eleventh. You see, he had been left for the 
last because he was the leader of the crowd. 
He wouldn’t give up his search, and by and by 
he was walking along a little stream when he 
came upon the skeleton of a man. There was 
nothing but the bones left except a rusty old 
knife which was sticking between the ribs right 
over the heart. Part of the coat was still good 
and my friend, looking through the coat, found 
a letter. ’ ’ 

Even Alfred now was interested in the story 
of the old man and there were no interruptions 
when Wheat, after pausing for a brief time, re- 
sumed his tale. 

“In this letter this dead man told how they 
had been running for twelve days. They didn’t 
106 


SEARCH FOR THE MEDICINE STONE 


know just where they were going, but they were 
trying to get into the forests to get away from 
the Apaches. There was a part of the letter so 
old and soiled that my friend couldn’t make it 
out, but he was able to find out that the one that 
had written the letter had said that it was an 
awful death that had come to every one of his 
friends. It came suddenly and so mysteriously 
that there wasn’t any use in trying to get away 
from it, no more than it was to understand it. 
It seems it came exactly at sunset. This letter 
was written when this boy knew that his time 
had come. You see he was the only one left of 
the whole twelve. He told how the night before, 
just as the sun went down, when there were 
only two of the boys left, each of them had 
stopped to look into the face of the other, for 
both knew that one of them wouldn’t be there 
when the sun rose. The other one was pretty 
much broken up and he asked my friend’s boy 
to go down to the brook and get him a cup of 
water to drink. When the boy came back there 
was his friend stretched out with a dagger 
driven straight through his heart. 

“In the letter the boy tells how he was almost 
crazy and started into the forest. He didn’t 
107 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


know where he was going and I guess he didn’t 
care. He knew that he didn’t have but one* 
more day to live. It must make a man feel 
queer when he looks up into the sky and thinks 
that he is gazing at the last sun he will ever see 
and that when that sun begins to settle behind 
the Sierras there is something coming to him. 

“You see, that letter was written by my 
friend’s boy and he had come up with his 
friends after the Medicine Stone. Now you see 
what it can do.” 

“I see all that,” said Jack quietly, “but I 
can’t understand why if that’s true you still 
want to find it. I should think you would be 
glad to leave it alone. I didn’t know I had any- 
thing so dangerous when I took it from the hut 
of the old hermit. All the same,” he continued, 
“I’m sure of one thing and that is that we must 
get out. There’s something wrong with the 
Apaches and I don’t want to take any chances 
up ‘here. ’ ’ 

Both Wheat and Zach agreed that it would 
be wiser for the two brothers to leave the place, 
but WTieat explained that as yet he was not 
willing to abandon his search for the Great 
Medicine Stone. 


108 


CHAPTER X 

AN APACHE GUIDE 

Z ACH declared that he also would remain, 
and whether or not he joined with Wheat 
in the search for the Medicine Stone, he de- 
clared that he was not going to leave at this 
time. 

He was equally strong, however, in his asser- 
tion that it was high time for the brothers to 
depart from the camp and return to the settle- 
ment. 

The return journey involved a ride of at least 
forty miles. 

“I think your best plan,” suggested Zach, 
1 1 is to start in the night. If the Apaches really 
are on the warpath you will be more likely to 
escape them. ,, 

“I’m not so sure about that,” said Jack 
thoughtfully. 

“You haven’t been here as long as I have,” 
responded Zach. “In the daytime their little 
sharp eyes will take in everything there is from 
109 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


a fly to an eagle that, they see moving over the 
rocks. In the night you ’ll be a little safer.” 

“But what if we should run across them in 
the night? Probably they can see just as much 
better in the darkness than we can.” 

“All the same,” assented Zach promptly, “I 
think your best plan will be to leave here before 
midnight.” 

It was finally decided that the boys should 
pack their belongings on the backs of their 
ponies and start on their return when darkness 
had settled over the land that very night. Both 
were aware that if the reports of the warlike 
dealings of the Indians were true their return 
to the settlement would be an exceedingly diffi- 
cult one. 

“You can go part way up through Dead 
Man’s Canon,” suggested Zach. “And I think 
you know the place where you turn to the left 
and then off to the south. You can let your 
ponies pick their own way. If you get through 
that break in the canon you stand a fair chance 
of making the settlement, for I do not believe 
that many of the Apaches will be hanging 
around the desert in the daytime. If they do 
they’ll come in a band of twenty or more and 
110 


AN APACHE GUIDE 


against them you ’ll be just about as safe as you 
would be if you were back here in the camp.” 

“What do you mean ? ’ ’ inquired Jack, quickly. 

“I mean I don’t think the Apaches will shoot 
if they outnumber you as many as that. On the 
other hand if they came here to the camp they 
probably would not wait for any little thing like 
taking prisoners, but would creep up and fire 
on us before we knew anything about it. 

To the surprise of all the men in the camp 
the young Apache Indian returned at sunset. 
He gave no explanation as to the cause of his 
absence, nor did he explain where he had been. 
In response to Wheat’s demand that he should 
give up the Medicine Stone the eyes of the 
young Indian glowed warmly, but he made no 
reply. 

Of course it was not positively known that he 
had taken the stone. But the fact that its dis- 
appearance was discovered soon after his de- 
parture led them all to suspect that the two 
were not disconnected. 

Conversation, however, was impossible until 
the young Indian learned that Jack and his 
brother were about to depart for the settlement. 

At once he volunteered to be their guide. For 
111 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


a moment Jack hesitated, but as Zach nodded his 
head positively he said quietly, “All right, we 
shall he glad to have you go with us. ’ ’ 

“I shall not go all the way,” said the Indian, 
“but shall go with you through Dead Man’s 
Canon.” 

“We shan’t get through there before morn- 
ing,” suggested Jack, “and when we are once 
on the desert I don’t think we’ll have any more 
trouble. ’ ’ 

The young Apache gazed for a moment at the 
speaker, but as he did not speak the proposed 
plan was accepted. 

“We shall not take provisions except for a 
day,” said Jack. “We don’t want to load up 
our ponies or carry anything that isn’t abso- 
lutely necessary. At the end of the day we 
ought to be where we can get some help and if 
we aren’t we shan’t need anything to eat.” 

A brief time afterward Alfred again was 
greatly disturbed by the suggestion of the 
young Indian that he would serve as their guide 
and said in a low whisper to his brother, “Do 
you think it’s safe for us to take him with us!” 

“It’ll be just as safe as it will be to leave him 
behind in the camp,” replied Jack. “If he 
112 


AN APACHE GUIDE 


wants to betray us bis easiest plan would be to 
stay in the camp until after we have started 
and then to get word to tbe right parties that 
we have started through the canon and cut us 
off there.’ ’ 

“ That’s what he may do anyway.” 

“If he does, then we shall have to meet it. 
But Zach is very sure he is friendly and will 
really help us. It seems he has a grudge against 
Natchez, the real chief, and that he’s sulking in 
his tent like Achilles.” 

“He won’t be sulking very much,” suggested 
Alfred with a laugh, “if he rides away with 
us.” 

“I just meant that for poetry. I see I shall 
have to explain all that so I shan’t try it again.” 

The boys soon were busily engaged in collect- 
ing their belongings which they were to take 
with them, and when at last these had been 
strapped on their ponies and the time for their 
departure had arrived it was past ten o’clock. 

The farewells were not formal and in a brief 
time the little procession started toward the 
canon through which they were to make their 
way to the desert beyond. 

The young Apache led the way. He was fol- 
113 


THE APACHE CHIEF 

lowed by Alfred, while Jack served as a rear 
guard. 

It was agreed that there should be no talking 
and that no one should speak unless he discov- 
ered some sign of the presence of danger or' it 
became necessary to change the direction in 
which they were moving. 

Silently, save for the footfalls of their ponies, 
the little procession moved out from the camp 
and an hour later had arrived at the entrance 
to the canon they were seeking. 

Here a brief halt was called while the ponies 
were permitted to rest and preparations were 
made for ascending the valley of the great 
gorge. 

The darkness within the canon was deeper 
than that outside, but in a brief time the eyes 
of the boys became somewhat accustomed to 
the dim light. It was impossible for them now 
to distinguish in the distance the great bowl- 
ders, and if any Indians were lying in wait 
there, their presence was not likely to be known 
until they made a sudden attack. 

In spite of this condition, however, the eyes 
of Jack and his brother were continually alert. 
They were watchful for anything that would 
114 


AN APACHE GUIDE 


betray the presence of enemies and at tbe same 
time did their utmost to peer far ahead. 

Meanwhile the young Apache, whose name the 
boys did not know, continued to move in ad- 
vance. His sure-footed pony almost by instinct 
seemed to select his pathway. He slipped and 
sometimes slid over the rocks, but almost as 
sure-footed as a goat he steadily led the way. 

It was past midnight when at last the little 
party halted near the flat table rock which al- 
ready had become familiar to them. The ponies 
were breathing heavily and an opportunity for 
rest must be given them. 

In silence all three dismounted, and throwing 
the bridles over the heads of the ponies they 
left the faithful animals while all three climbed 
upon the rock with the purpose of peering far- 
ther up the canon. 

In silence they stood side by side and listened 
intently as they peered up toward the head of 
the great gorge. The silence of the night was 
almost oppressive. Several stars could be seen 
above the border of the high walls, but the light 
within the canon was still dim. 

For several minutes the little party remained 
in silence and then were startled as the young 
115 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


Apache turned upon his companions and raised 
his hand in warning. Plainly he had heard or 
suspected something which was unknown to the 
brothers. 

Motionless, as if he had been a part of the 
stone upon which they were standing, the In- 
dian listened, his face turned toward the head 
of the gorge. 

In a brief time he turned again to his com- 
panions and said, “Somebody coming.’ ’ 

6 6 How many ? ’ ’ whispered J ack. 

“Two tens,” answered the Indian. 

“Do you mean there are twenty coming down 
the gorge?” 

The Indian nodded his head and did not 
speak. 

“What are they — Indians or white men?” 
whispered Jack. 

“Indians.” 

“Do you think they are on the warpath?” 

The Apache did not reply to the question and 
still continued to listen intently as he leaned 
forward. 

A few minutes later, thoroughly convinced 
that he had heard sounds of an approaching 
116 


an apache guide 


party, lie again tuned to tlie boys and said, 
i 1 You go inside the c,ave.” 

“What for?” inq Jred Jack. 

“You go there. Yc, wait until the Apaches 
go past.” 

“But they may find \ s in there,” suggested 
Alfred. 

“Not this night,” a swered the Indian. 
“When day come then tl l€ y may know, but not 
in the night.” 

“But they’ll find o >r,” suggested 

Jack, “and then they’ll ^ ' - ’re not far 

away. Of course they knoA is here and 

the first thing they’ll do will be to look there 
for the riders of these ponies.” 

“Me take ponies.” 

Acting at once upon his own suggestion the 
young Indian quickly and silently withdrew 
from the cliff and started toward the place 
where they had left their ponies. 

“I don’t like this a little bit,” suggested Jack 
in a low whisper to his brother. “If that young 
redskin takes our ponies away we’re left here, 
high and dry. We haven’t anything to eat and 
we may have trouble.” 


117 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


“He’s just going to hicte the ponies,” sug- 
gested Alfred. 

“That’s what he said,” admitted Jack, “but 
I am not sure of him. H .may take the ponies. 
That’s an Apache trick! Then after he has got 
them he may join thi other band, if there is 
such a band, and come back here for us. I con- 
fess I haven’t heard i ny thing yet. It makes me 
think that there ar^ twenty Indians coming 
down the canon.” 

“It’s too late ^ do anything, Jack,” said 
Alfred. “ Wt ' take it for granted this 

young Apa f mg in good faith. You 

know Zach said he was all right, though he 
didn’t even tell us his name.” 

“I want something more than Zach’s word to 
make me trust an Apache, if they really are 
fighting again,” answered Jack. “At the same 
time we’ll have to act as if we believed him. 
“What’s that?” he added suddenly as he 
stopped, and turning his face toward the head 
of the gorge listened intently. 

Surely the sounds of footfalls of ponies could 
be heard. A moment later both boys were posi- 
tive they had heard the sound. They eagerly 
looked in the direction in which the young In- 
118 


AN APACHE GUIDE 


dian had gone, hoping for his return, hut as yet 
he did not appear. 

^ Again the sounds were heard. There could 
be no mistaking their meaning. It was certain 
now that a party was approaching, coming from 
the direction indicated by the young Indian. 

Both boys withdrew a little farther from the 
border and stretched themselves flat upon the 
rock. They were hopeful that in this way they 
would not attract the attention of any passing 
party and at the same time would be able to 
watch any men who might approach. 

The rattling of stones that had been let loose 
by the feet of the ponies soon was heard. A 
moment later both boys distinctly saw the dim 
outlines of a body of men approaching in single 
file and on horseback. 

Alfred’s heart was beating rapidly in his ex- 
citement. It was a comfort to have his older 
and more experienced brother reclining by his 
side, but he was troubled not only by the ap- 
proach of the party but also by the failure of 
the young Apache to return. 

His excitement increased when in the dim 
light the approaching band was seen to be com- 
posed of Indians. All were mounted and they 
119 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


were moving in single file. Not a word was 
spoken, the only noise being that caused by the 
.footfalls of the horses as some stones were dis- 
lodged from the places in which they had been 
resting. There was no question now as to the 
report of the young Apache. A band was pass- 
ing the place in which the boys were hiding, and 
as they peered over the edge of the stone they 
saw that it was a band of Indians below them. 

Stealthily and steadily the Indians advanced, 
moving like shadows cast against the rock that 
walled the great gorge. 


CHAPTER XI 

A PRISONER 

M OTIONLESS the two boys watched the 
Indians as they passed along the trail 
directly beneath them. Not a word was spoken 
by the warriors; every pony seemed to know 
exactly what was expected of it and followed in 
the footsteps of its predecessor. 

The Indians were all armed, however, many 
of them apparently carrying both rifles and 
bows and arrows. The very silence intensified 
the fear felt by Jack and his brother. There 
was no question in the mind of either that the 
men below were on the warpath, though just 
why they should be coming through the canon 
at this time was not clear to either of the ex- 
cited beholders. 

Both were aware, however, that the first 
necessity was that they should remain con- 
cealed. What would follow the discovery of 
their presence was clear to the minds of both. 
Flat on the rock and almost fascinated by the 
121 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


sight of the little procession below them, they 
watched the Indians as they passed on and soon 
disappeared from sight. 

Jack waited until he was positive that the 
Indians had gone and then in a whisper said^to 
his brother, “We ought to get away from here 
and get word back to the camp that these 
Apaches are coming.” 

“I don’t see how we can get ahead of them,” 
answered Alfred. 

“I don’t see, either, and yet somehow we 
must. We can’t leave Zach and Wheat alone 
there in the camp to meet the attack of twenty 
of these savages.” 

“I don’t think they will be helped very much 
if we go back,” suggested Alfred. “It would 
still be four against twenty. What has become 
of our Indian friend?” 

“I don’t know,” answered Jack. “I’m a 
good deal troubled about him. I don’t know 
why he left us any more than I know where he 
has gone.” 

“He may lead those fellows back here.” 

“Of course he can do that, but all we can do 
is to wait here and see whether he does or not. ’ ’ 
122 


A PRISONER 


“We might make our plans if they should 
come back ” 

Silence abruptly followed as Jack seized the 
arm of his yotfnger brother and in a startled 
whisper said, “There’s a party coming up the 
canon. I don’t know whether it is a new party 
or the same Indians coming back.” 

Alfred made no reply, although in his heart 
he was convinced that the Apaches were return- 
ing. Doubtless the young Indian who had of- 
fered his services as a guide had betrayed their 
hiding place and the braves now were return- 
ing. 

“What can we do?” he inquired anxiously. 
“We can’t hold this place against twenty and 
besides some of them probably know the way of 
getting around behind us so that they’ll have us 
between them.” 

“Probably they do know, but we must make a 
fight for it. Come along, Alfred, and we’ll go 
into the cave. I remember enough about it to- 
think I can find my way and we ’ll have a place 
where we can hide, at least until morning. ’ ’ 

In silence the two brothers withdrew from the 
position they occupied on the flat rock, and do- 
ing their utmost to move cautiously entered the 
123 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


cave. They had hardly stepped within the 
gloomy borders, however, before a wild yell 
went np from the Indians below them. There 
was no question now that they were aware of 
the presence of the two young whites. Both 
boys also were convinced that the young 
Apache had betrayed them and that they were 
more or less at the mercy of the savage band. 

In Jack’s heart there was an additional fear 
that arose from the suggestion of Alfred that 
the Indians might know of another entrance to 
the cave and if they should block both the exit 
and the entrance it would be a simple matter 
for them to secure the two boys. 

Both were moving as rapidly now as the dark- 
ness permitted. Jack led the way, bidding his 
brother keep close behind him, and was doing 
his utmost to advance to the place where there 
was a branch in the cave through which there 
might be a possibility of their coming out on the 
hillside far below them. 

He had several times followed this pathway 
after his expeditions in the canon and had re- 
turned to the camp by the shorter way. In fact 
much of the preceding year had been spent by 
Jack either in or near Dead Man’s Canon, for 
124 


A PRISONER 


like many other prospectors he had somehow 
been convinced that the glittering stalagmites 
gave promise that the metal for which he was 
searching could not be far away. 

In a few minutes either the yells had ceased 
or the Indians were moving in silence. At all 
events the stillness of the night was unbroken 
except by an occasional small stone that rolled 
beneath the feet of one of the boys as he pushed 
his way forward. 

The darkness was so deep that there were 
moments when they were compelled to pause 
and feel their way along the rocks. Jack’s con- 
fidence, however, had its effect upon his younger 
brother, who did his utmost to follow closely. 

As they advanced farther, however, the dis- 
tance between the two became more marked. 
Alfred dared not call and yet he was so un- 
familiar with the region that of necessity he 
lost time when occasionally he hesitated in mak- 
ing sure of his way. When ten minutes more 
had elapsed Alfred was positive that his brother 
now was so far in advance that it was well nigh 
impossible for him to follow closely. He was 
doing his utmost to increase the speed at which 
he was moving, but he was soon convinced that 
125 


THE APACHE CHIEF 

Jack was so far in advance that it was difficult 
to overtake him. 

Meanwhile Jack was advancing rapidly, con- 
vinced that Alfred was near him. He did not 
stop to speak to his brother, for he was confident 
that Alfred was close behind him. Besides, it 
was impossible to delay their flight. Their only 
hope of escape apparently rested upon the 
swiftness with which they could come to the 
opening in the side of the great mountain. 

Alfred was eager now to overtake his brother, 
for his fears had steadily increased. There 
were moments when he felt as if unseen hands 
were reaching forth from behind the rocks to 
grasp him. He almost believed that he could 
hear the whiz of a tomahawk or the singing of 
an arrow. Mingled with these feelings was his 
terror at being left behind by his brother. 

Meanwhile Jack was increasing the speed at 
which he was moving, still confident that his 
brother was close behind and that in a brief 
time they would gain the exit for which he was 
running. There were various passages in the 
cave, as he knew. Some of them were familiar 
to him, and even in the darkness he was con- 
fident of being able to find his way. 

126 


A PRISONER 


He had not turned aside, however, as yet, hut 
was preparing to enter the branch for which he 
had been searching w T hen he was aware that the 
possibility of escape by that method had been 
cut off. Either the party of Apaches had di- 
vided and some had gone around the mountain 
while others had entered directly into the canon, 
or an additional party had come, for there was 
a sudden wild yell in front of him that showed 
that the presence of the boys had been discov- 
ered. 

It was hopeless to attempt to outrun the fleet- 
footed Apaches. Jack well knew that the In- 
dians of the Apache tribe were powerful not 
only in a long race but were equally swift in a 
sprint. Apparently their only hope was to hide 
somewhere. 

He waited for the coming of Alfred, but his 
brother did not appear. Aroused to greater 
fear by the failure of Alfred to join him, Jack 
started back over the pathway he had followed, 
but he had advanced only a short distance when 
the cries before him showed him that escape by 
that method was impossible. Perhaps his 
younger brother had already been slain or made 
a prisoner by the cruel savages. He was 
127 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


tempted to shout and warn him of his peril, and 
iat the same time call to him to join him where 
he was standing. 

Aside from the wild yell which had greeted 
him when he turned into the branch of the 
canon, not a sound had been heard since the 
Indians had first made evident their presence in 
the vicinity. 

For a moment Jack was confused. Thoughts 
of the peril of his brother were mingled with 
those of the men back in the camp whom he was 
eager to warn, and so strong were these feel- 
ings that for a brief time his own peril was 
ignored or forgotten. 

By this time the light of the rising sun was 
beginning to penetrate the dark recesses of the 
canon. It was less difficult now for him to peer 
about him. As he looked eagerly over the 
pathway behind him he was unable to discover 
any indications of the presence of either Alfred 
or his foes. And yet Jack was convinced tha£ 
the Indians were behind as well as before him. 

Apparently his only hope now was to find 
gome hiding place, as he thought Alfred had 
been able to do, and wait for the withdrawal of 
.the Indians from the region. 

128 


A PRISONER 


And yet even as the thought came to him he 
was aware how futile it was. Whatever other 
failings the Apaches might have, the weakness 
of easily abandoning a pursuit was not among 
them. In spite of his peril he was aware that 
the Apaches knew of his presence and doubt- 
jess were confident that they had caught him 
somewhere between the two bands. In such an 
event they would wait days, if necessary, until 
he, tormented by thirst or hunger, had been 
compelled to reveal his presence. 

In desperation Jack started once more into 
the branch of the cave. He had advanced only 
a few yards, however, when suddenly he was 
greeted by a wild yell that seemed to come from 
all sides at once. The very rocks seemed to 
spout forth Apaches. He saw them on every 
side, brandishing their guns, shouting and leap- 
ing from stone to stone and all the time draw- 
ing nearer to the place where he had hid. 

Escape was impossible. If he should fire 
upon them he was well aware that his condition 
would be worse. And yet he could not under- 
stand why the yelling Indians had not already 
shot at him. 

In the midst of all their strange actions he 

129 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


was aware that they were coming nearer and 
nearer. Their plan apparently was to approach 
from every side, and in their activities he 
fancied that he saw their purpose was to make 
him prisoner. 

Aware as he was that behind him were other 
Indians as savage as those before him, escape 
by that method was impossible. Jack stood 
holding his revolver in his hand, determined to 
sell his life as dearly as possible if the Indians, 
attacked him. Meanwhile as steadily as if they 
had formed the walls of a room in which he had 
been shut the Indians drew nearer, making the 
place between them and himself less and less 
with every passing minute. Their object now 
was fully apparent. They were intending to 
make him a prisoner, and as Jack thought of 
the possibilities confronting him he abruptly 
decided that he would make no defense. Per- 
haps if he should go peaceably with the warriors 
they might release him when they had with- 
drawn from the canon or questioned him as to 
the meaning of his presence there. 

Accordingly, although he glanced behind him 
several times in an effort to discover whether 
or not Alfred was near, he seldom removed his 
130 


A PRISONER 


gaze from the leaping Indians before him, and 
with snch calmness as he could command await- 
ed their nearer approach. At any moment he 
was fully aware that he might be the target for 
their rifles or arrows. A spear which he saw 
in the hands of one of the men became fascinat- 
ing to him. He watched the brave as he leaped 
from rock to rock, apparently all the time able 
to hold his spear in a manner that would permit 
him to hurl it at any moment. 

At last the Indians had advanced to a spot 
within three yards of the place where Jack was 
standing. He did not move from his position, 
and all the time was endeavoring to look into 
the faces of the excited Apaches in a manner 
that would belittle the fear which was clutching 
his heart. Escape now was impossible and J ack 
was uncertain what his fate was to be. At any 
moment some of the treacherous red men might 
fling their tomahawks or fire upon him when he 
was unprepared. 

His uncertainty, however, did not long con- 
tinue. Abruptly three of the Indians leaped 
forward from the band and one of them in 
broken English spoke to him. 

131 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


“You come with us,” he commanded, speak- 
ing in a thick, gutteral tone. 

“Why should I come?” demanded Jack. 

“You come!” said the Indian, his beadlike 
eyes flashing as he spoke. 

“Of course I’ll come if you want me,” said 
Jack, striving to appear willing to heed the de- 
mands of those whom he now knew to be his 
captors. “Where are you going to take me?” 

The Indian’s eyes again flashed, but he did 
not reply. A moment later he said, 6 ‘ Give me 
your gun.” 

“But it’s my gun,” protested Jack. 

“Give me gun!” demanded the Indian. 

“All right, take it,” said Jack, striving to 
speak lightly. “It’s a good gun and I don’t 
want to lose it.” 

As soon as the young brave had received the 
weapon which Jack extended to him he passed 
it to one of his companions who was standing 
behind him and then suddenly and without any 
^signal having been given as far as Jack could 
see, the three men suddenly threw themselves 
upon him and in a moment his hands were 
securely bound behind his back. 

132 


A PRISONER 


“You come!” said the young Apache, who 
had first addressed him. 

Jack did iiot reply but at once followed the 
Indian, who plainly was the leader of the band, 
as he gave the directions to his followers to lead 
the prisoner toward the great gorge. 


CHAPTEB XII 

IN AN APACHE VILLAGE 

I N silence the band moved down the moun- 
tain side and in a brief time Jack and his 
captors joined the main party. The young 
engineer quickly was aware that there were at 
least thirty Apaches in the group. As he and 
his brother had counted those who had passed 
beneath the flat rock he was convinced that there 
must at least be two different bands, as he had 
surmised. 

A brief consultation was held between two or 
three of the warriors, but the light was not yet 
sufficient to enable the prisoner to distinguish 
the features of his captors. 

He was not left long in ignorance, however, 
as to their plans, for without a word of warn- 
ing he was seized and lifted in the arms of four 
of the warriors. They then placed him on the 
back of one of the ponies, strapping his arms 
and legs about the body of the horse. 

Jack was given no opportunity to protest and 
134 


IN AN APACHE VILLAGE 


lie was well aware how~ futile any attempt to 
defend himself would be. His greatest hope of 
good treatment depended upon not arousing the 
anger of his captors. It was evident, also, that 
they were in great haste, for as soon as he had 
been strapped in his uncomfortable position all 
but four of the warriors instantly turned and 
started down the canon. 

Even in his dire predicament Jack was think- 
ing of his brother, whom he had lost in the 
branch of the cave. What had befallen Alfred 
he could only conjecture. His own experiences, 
however, confirmed him in his fear that his 
younger brother had met with an experience not 
unlike his own. He had ample reason for know- 
ing the quick temper of the boy and was anxious 
lest he had aroused the anger of the Apaches. 

Slight time, however, was afforded for such 
meditation. Soon after the departure of the 
band the four warriors who had been left in 
charge of Jack set forth on the journey. 
Whither he was being taken Jack was ignorant, 
but the very fact that such care had been taken 
to bind him fast to the horse led him to believe 
that he was about to be carried to some Indian 
village or settlement. What would befall him 
135 


THE APACHE CHIEF 

there was a matter which only the future could 
reveal. 

It was now broad daylight. Indeed, as Jack 
looked about him, for his head had fallen low 
on the horse’s shoulder and he was unable to 
change his position, it seemed to the troubled 
young prisoner that the sunlight had never been 
more golden. The very rocks and crags seemed 
touched with a sense of pity for him in his un- 
fortunate predicament. As for his captors, 
Jack was unable to see their faces, but he was 
already familiar with the stories of the cruelty 
of the Apaches when once they had entered upon 
the warpath. 

One of the familiar stories in the region had 
been of the capture of the Oatman family many 
years before this time. Mr. and Mrs. Oatman, 
together with their children, were moving slow- 
ly across the desert. Their belongings had been 
packed in their prairie schooner which was 
drawn by lumbering oxen. As the days passed 
the intense heat of the desert soon became al- 
most unbearable, their supply of provisions ran 
low and water was unknown. Hunger and 
thirst tormented them and urged them forward, 
though the suffering oxen daily became weaker. 

136 


IN AN APACHE VILLAGE 


The advance of each following day became less 
endurable than its predecessor, as the heavy 
wagon was drawn through the deep and dry 
sand. 

Then one day they discovered some Indians 
approaching. Mr. Oatman at once recognized 
them as Apaches, and bidding his family re- 
main silent while he conducted the conversation 
with them, they all awaited the coming of the 
red men. 

After the arrival of the Indians there was a 
parley and apparently no hostile feelings were 
manifest. Suddenly, however, there was a yell 
from the Apaches and they fell upon the unsus- 
pecting and terrified family. Both Mr. and 
Mrs. Oatman were slain and several of the chil- 
dren. One of the boys managed to crawl into a 
cave not far away from the scene of the mas- 
sacre and two girls were carried away. For 
years they remained among the Apaches doing 
the worst kind of drudgery, the slaves of the 
village. Under this brutal treatment one of the 
girls died and afterwards the freedom of the 
little sister was bought by a white man and she 
was restored to her brother, who had recovered 
137 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


from his terrible experiences when he had been 
left for dead. 

The recollection of this tragic incident for a 
brief time caused Jack to lose heart. He was 
unaware of the fate that was awaiting him and 
the possibility of his receiving treatment sim- 
ilar to that which had befallen the Oatman 
family was great. 

By this time his position on the back of the 
horse was one of torment. The weight of his 
body resting upon the thongs which bound his 
ankles and wrists soon produced a condition 
which was almost unbearable. The skin had 
been torn away and the raw flesh in the heat 
and dust was already causing great suffering. 

In spite of his treatment, however, various 
stories which he had heard concerning the 
Apaches kept coming back to his mind. 

He remembered that Zach had told him that 
the Apaches ate rats and mice and lived upon 
the roots of cactus trees when other sources of 
food failed. 

Strange it was that he now recalled the names 
of the eight tribes of whom the Apaches were 
composed. There were the Mescalaros, the 
Mimbres, the Mogolenes, the Chiricahui, the 
138 


IN AN APACHE VILLAGE 


Coyteros, the Pinals, the Cerro-Colorados and 
the Tintos. Tintos, Pinals, Coyteres, Cerro- 
Colorados, Mescalaros, — the very footfalls of 
the ponies seemed to call the roll of the various 
tribes as the feet of the ponies sank in the deep 
sand. 

By this time the party had left the mountain 
and were moving swiftly along the trail which 
led across the desert. 

And Zach had said the Apaches were not 
good fighters! The prospector had declared 
that they would run except from women and 
children, but if once they began to fight they 
fought with desperation. It was plain now that 
the Apaches were ready to fight. 

By this time Jack’s sufferings were so in- 
tense that he called to one of the Indians to 
relieve him from his bonds. 

“I’ll not try to get away,” he said, “if you’ll 
only unfasten the straps that hold me. ’ ’ 

The party halted and one of the warriors ad- 
vancing said, “You no talk.” However, he 
made no effort to relieve the sufferings of the 
young engineer. At the same time Jack, in 
spite of his pain, noticed the finger nails of the 
young warrior that had spoken to him. They 
139 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


were nearly an inch long on each finger. Evi- 
dently they were a source of pride to their pos- 
sessor. Jack wondered if they were not almost 
as efficient as the talons of the eagles which he 
had seen flying far above the crests of the 
mountains. 

Stories of the occasional attacks which the 
Apaches had made upon the stage coaches of 
the earlier days also recurred to his mind. In 
the main, however, his thoughts were centered 
upon the suffering which he was undergoing. 
The journey seemed to be almost interminable. 
They were skirting the foot of the mountain, 
and although they were moving across the sand 
it was evident that they were moving definitely 
toward some place. Jack still believed that he 
would find this to be an Indian village located 
somewhere among the mountains. 

An hour later he was confirmed in his opinion 
when the Indians entered what at first to him 
from his distorted vision appeared to be a large 
circular valley. It was plain, too, that the re- 
gion was fertile, for grass was growing and 
there were trees to be seen in the distance. 

The coming of the Indians was hailed by a 
shout from those whom Jack believed to be in 
140 


IN AN APACHE VILLAGE 


the settlement to which he had expected to be 
taken. A brief time later a horde of Indian 
women and children were following and hoot- 
ing and shouting at the wretched prisoner. 
Some of the Indian boys even darted forward 
and pulled his hair while he was lying helpless 
on the hack of the horse. 

He was fully aware how useless it would be 
to protest, and doing his utmost to remain calm 
he waited, confident that his sufferings, if they 
were not relieved, would at least soon be 
changed. 

In a brief time he found himself in the midst 
of an Indian village. The band had apparently 
halted near the center of the settlement and 
one of the warriors stepping forward cut the 
thongs by which Jack was bound to the horse. 
His hands still were tied, and as he found it 
difficult to rise, one of the warriors seized him 
roughly by the straps which were bound about 
his wrists and yanked him to his feet. 

So dazed was the young prisoner by the ex- 
periences through which he had passed and the 
sudden relief which had come to him that at 
first he was not able fully to comprehend what 
he saw. He was aware of huts that resembled 
141 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


the huge, inverted halves of melons. The roofs 
of these strange buildings were covered with a 
yellow thatch. There seemed to be at least a 
thousand dogs, all yelping and barking at the 
same time and assembled with the same feeling 
of curiosity that had drawn their owners to the 
place to which the prisoner had been brought. 

In spite of his dazed condition Jack felt a 
wave of repulsion sweep over him as he looked 
at the Indian women, who were shaking their 
fists and crying aloud in their anger as they 
gazed at the captive. They were apparently all 
ugly of feature and most of them were fat and 
all certainly were dirty. The group was not 
attractive, but Jack’s fears were of other things 
than the appearances of these squaws. He was 
well aware that prisoners frequently were 
turned over to the tender mercies of the women 
in the camp and the treatment which they re- 
ceived from these hags was even worse than 
the tortures which sometimes came later and 
were inflicted by the men of the village. 

Jack was led to one of these overturned 
“melons” and was told in broken English that 
he might remain there for a time. The sides of 
the building were made of the skins of animals 
142 


IN AN APACHE VILLAGE 


and the roof, as has been said, was composed 
of long thatch. To his surprise the interior 
appeared to be reasonably clean. The sight, 
however, of a large leather bottle on the floor 
caused him to start at once toward it in the 
hope that it might contain water. 

He found, however, that the bottle was empty 
and that no food of any kind was within the 
building. 

Although he was left comparatively free he 
was fully aware that his every movement was 
watched. It was as impossible to escape as if 
he were still bound. A half hour elapsed before 
any one brought him water, and when he saw 
what flowed from the leather bottle when he 
inverted it, it would have been utterly distaste- 
ful at any other time. The water was yellow, 
evidently colored by the metals on the side of 
the mountain over which it had flowed in the 
stream which came down the mountain side. 

It was no time, however, to stand upon such 
matters, and as Jack drank he was positive that 
never had water tasted sweeter. As soon as he 
replaced the bottle on the floor he stepped to 
the front of the building to discover the cause 
143 


THE APACHE CHIEF 

of loud outcries that were going up from the 
village. 

Not far from his hut he saw a mule which had 
been caught by the braves, and all four feet 
were securely tied. The animal then was 
thrown upon the ground, and to Jack’s horror 
he saw men advance with great knives with 
which they cut away the flesh of the suffering 
brute. The screams of the tortured animal were 
heart-rending. Never had Jack looked upon a 
scene at once so disgusting and pitiful. Almost 
fascinated by the horror of the sight, he 
watched the men as they took the pieces which 
they had cut from the living animal and roasted 
them over the fire. Later he was to learn that 
the belief of the Apaches was strong that flesh 
cut from an animal while it was living was 
much more delicious than that from a dead 
animal. 

The suffering of the mule continued for what 
seemed to Jack an endless time. At last, how- 
ever, the poor animal was relieved of its suffer- 
ing after many huge pieces of flesh had been cut 
from its flanks and shoulders. 

Near him an Indian was marching, waving a 
long pole, on the end of which dangled the dress 
144 


IN AN APACHE VILLAGE 


ctf a little child. It was only too evident to the 
prisoner what this all meant. Some family had 
been massacred as the Oatman family years 
before had suffered. A little white child had 
been among the victims and the brave had 
brought with him to the village the dress as a 
toEen of his prowess. 


CHAPTER Xin 

THE COMING OF THE TEOOPS 

I T is time for ns to return to the efforts of 
Alfred, whom we left in the cave which he 
and his brother had sought as a refuge when 
the Apaches had discovered their hiding place 
on the flat rock. 

Terrified by the experiences through which he 
had passed, certain only that he had lost his 
brother and by no means positive that he could 
find his way, even if he should escape the mur- 
derous savages, he waited, crouching behind 
the rock, for the developments that he was posi- 
tive soon would take place. 

He heard again the wild yells of the Indians 
when they departed, although he was not aware 
that they were leaving the canon. 

Silence followed their departure, and the 
strain upon the anxious boy was intensified by 
the stillness. Not a sound broke in upon the 
quiet that surrounded him. There were mo- 
146 


THE COMING OF THE TROOPS 


ments when he seemed to he almost over- 
whelmed with the silence. 

He was aware, however, as the moments 
slowly passed that either the Indians had de- 
parted or they were lying in wait for him to 
disclose his presence. 

As the first glimmering light of the morning 
appeared, Alfred, unable longer to endure the 
waiting, crawled from behind the rock and 
cautiously started in the direction in which he 
had last seen his brother. 

Frequently stopping to peer about him as the 
light became stronger, and glancing suspicious- 
ly at every rock or hiding place which the 
Apaches might use, he continued on his way 
until he came to the place where the branch of 
the cave led toward the side of the mountain. 

There he was aware he must turn, if he was 
to endeavor to make his way back to the camp 
below. 

Again he peered intently in every direction 
to discover whether or not Jack was anywhere 
near. The peacefulness of the scene was un- 
broken. Not a sign of an Indian could he dis- 
cover, but he was troubled by the failure to 
find any trace of the missing Jack. 

147 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


Anxiously he called aloud, but the echo which 
came back in response to his hail was sharp and 
metallic in its sound. He waited for an answer, 
but he waited in vain. Evidently he was alone 
in the place where he was standing. 

What had become of his brother? Almost in 
terror, Alfred looked about him again, but Jack 
was nowhere to be seen. 

Aroused to the necessity of action and aware 
now that he must depend upon himself alone 
for decisions, a moment later he started down 
the branch of the cave which led toward the 
side of the mountain. He must return to the 
camp and warn his friends of the raid of the 
Apaches. There was also in his heart a dim 
hope that in some way Jack might have re- 
turned to the camp after he discovered that his 
brother no longer was with him. 

As soon as he began the descent, for the cave 
led for a considerable distance downward, 
Alfred began to move more rapidly. Stones 
rattled beneath his feet and once he was startled 
when a huge bird suddenly arose with flapping 
wings, apparently from directly in front of 
him. 

As he proceeded Alfred’s speed increased and 
148 


THE COMING OF THE TROOPS 


soon lie was running swiftly, no longer stopping 
to glance about him or to look behind him. 

At the foot of the gorge he would be able to 
see far out over the plains. Eagerly he pushed 
forward, and although he had slight conception 
of the passing time, a half hour afterward found 
him standing on the side of the mountain near 
the exit of the gorge. 

Eagerly he looked out over the sides of the 
mountain. Again he recalled the stories which 
Zach and Wheat had told him of the uncanny 
ability of the Apache warriors to hide and to 
disguise themselves so that it was impossible 
for an observer to distinguish between a cactus 
plant and an Apache, who might be hiding close 
to it with the most of his body covered by sand, 

A long and careful search, however, failed to 
reveal to Alfred any signs of the presence of 
enemies. With fresh determination he leaped 
down the rocks and soon was speeding along 
the trail which led toward the camp where an 
hour later he arrived. 

Alfred’s consternation, however, when he 
looked once more upon the familiar spot was 
indescribable. The camp had been abandoned, 
the supplies had been taken and there were in- 
149 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


dications that a struggle had taken place there. 
Tremblingly he moved about the place, fearful 
of discovering the dead bodies of Zach and 
Wheat, as well as that of his missing brother. 
There were many evidences of a severe contest, 
but Alfred did not find what he most feared 
and almost expected to see. 

Convinced at last that he was the only living 
person in the place, he renewed his search, hop- 
ing to find something to satisfy his hunger. A 
few discolored biscuits was all that rewarded 
his search. 

Eagerly he ate the food he had found and 
then resumed his search of the camp. 

In the midst of his efforts he stopped abrupt- 
ly, when in a broken box which he had over- 
turned he saw what he at once decided must be 
the Great Medicine Stone. And yet both Zach 
and Wheat had declared the young Apache had 
stolen the stone and departed with it. Why it 
should have been left he could not understand. 
And yet whatever might be the mystery of its 
presence there was no question that he was 
looking upon the Great Medicine Stone itself. 
Its facets reflected the sunlight with greater 
brilliance than ever he had seen before. 

150 


THE COMING- OF THE TEOOPS 


The stone was nearly as large as the palm of 
his hand and the sides were cut in such angles 
that they almost seemed to have been the work 
of man. There was no question in Alfred’s 
mind that he had found the stone which Wheat 
had been so eager to obtain, but why it should 
have been left behind in the camp was some- 
thing he could not understand. 

Alfred was aware, however, that he himself 
must soon leave the place. It was evident that 
the men had abandoned the spot and would not 
return. Whither they had gone or what had 
become of them he did not know, but he was 
aware in a general way of the direction in which 
they doubtless would move and he was prepar- 
ing to follow as soon as he completed his in- 
vestigation. 

As Alfred was about to leave the spot he 
turned once mote to look out over the desert. 
Not a trace of vegetation greeted his eyes. The 
shifting sands stretched away like the surface 
of the ocean. Not a trace of life could he dis- 
cover. Not far away were the glistening bones 
of cattle that had died, very likely years before 
this time. Tormented by thirst they might have 
been killed in a mad rush toward a spring 
151 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


nearby or bad been victims of the coyotes. 
Doubtless the treacherous wolves in either event 
Had been the ones to pick their bones clean. 

Alfred turned and glanced along the line 
where the mountain seemed to join the desert. 
He was startled as he discovered what he 
thought was a moving body. 

Fascinated by the sight he remained long in 
the position in which he was standing, peering 
intently at that strange object in the distance. 
He was soon convinced that his eyes had not 
deceived him. A body of Indians or whites on 
horseback was approaching. At the time they 
were miles away, but his eyes already had been 
trained in part, and he was able to' see that 
there must be at least twenty or more riders in 
the band. Were they friends or enemies? 

His very fate depended upon the answer to 
that question. Disregarding his first impulse 
to run from the place and flee for safety to the 
canon he remained, still watching the body of 
horsemen in the distance. There were moments 
when he was convinced that a band of Apaches 
was approaching. And then some slight change 
in the activities of the horsemen would cause 
him to decide that they were white men. 

152 


THE COMING- OF THE TROOPS 


At all events Alfred remained where he was, 
and at last was fully convinced that the hand 
he had been watching was made up of whites. 

There was no hesitation now. Alfred de- 
cided his safest as well as wisest course was to 
await the coming of these men. 

Steadily the force advanced until at last 
Alfred was able to distinguish the leader from 
his followers. They were coming swiftly 
toward the very place where he was waiting for 
their arrival. 

A brief time afterward, as the band gave no 
sign of halting, Alfred whistled shrilly as the 
men came near and instantly the entire band 
halted. For a moment they gazed in manifest 
surprise, apparently not one of them suspect- 
ing that any one was near them. A moment 
later the twenty-one men, for Alfred had 
counted the body by this time, swerved slightly 
from the direction they had been following and 
swept forward toward the place where he was 
standing. He now saw that they were troopers 
(jand was also aware that the force was com- 
posed of U. S. Cavalrymen. 

When they arrived, the young captain in 
command leaped from the back of his horse and 
153 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


approached Alfred, the latter was greatly im- 
pressed by his soldierly bearing as well as by 
his eagerness. 

“What are yon doing here?” inquired the 
captain. “Who are you? Are there others 
with you?” 

“I’m all alone,” replied Alfred. “I was 
camping here with my brother and an old pros- 
pector. A young Apache came here for a day 
or two and later another old prospector came. 
That made up our entire party. ’ 9 

“What has become of your friends?” 

“I don’t know.” 

“You don’t know?” demanded the young 
officer. 

“Yes,” answered Alfred. “I wish I did. We 
know that the Apaches are prowling around the 
canon. Last night Zach and Wheat, — they are 
the two men who were here, — told us that we‘ 
ought to start for the settlement. They said 
they would stay here until morning . 9 ’ 

“Where’s your brother now?” 

“I don’t know. While we were up in the 
canon we saw what we thought were two bands 
of Apaches and we ran into a cave to hide from 
154 


THE COMING OF THE TEOOPS 

them. I lost my way in the dark and I’ve just 
this minute come hack to the camp.” 

“Did the Apaches get your brother?” 

“I don’t know. Sometimes I think they did. 
At all events I didn’t find him here when I 
came back.” 

“Did you find the other two men?” 

“No, but I expected them to be gone.” 

“I am Captain Lawton,” explained the young 
officer. “I’ve no time to stay here. I want to 
know what you saw. How many times have you 
seen Apaches?” 

“Two or three times within the last three or 
four days.” 

“How many?” 

“There must have been thirty or forty last 
night. We saw twenty the other day and then 
this young Apache has been here in the camp 
for a couple of days.” 

“Do you know his name?” 

“No, sir. Zach said he was friendly and 
would be a good guide for us.” 

The young officer did not reply, but turned to 
consult with two or three of his men. 

Once more turning to Alfred he inquired* . 

155 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


“Ho you know that Geronimo has stirred up 
the Apaches again ?” 

“That is what Zach said.” 

“All I can say for you is that you’re a lucky 
boy. I wish I could say as much for your 
brother, but I’m afraid the Apaches have got 
him.” 

“What will they do with him?” 

1 i That I can ’t tell you. ’ ’ 

Alfred was aware, however, from the tone of 
the captain’s voice that he was not hopeful and 
his own fears for his brother returned with re- 
doubled force. 

“The only thing for you to do,” continued 
the officer, “is to come with us. We cannot 
leave you here alone and you’ll have to use one 
of our ponies. Are you used to riding?” 

“I have done considerable,” answered Al- 
fred. “I have been out here for some time with 
my brother, who is a mining engineer.” 

“We must not stay here any longer,” said 
the captain quickly. “We’re late as it is, so I’ll 
give you a horse and you come along with us. ’ ’ 

“Where are you going?” inquired Alfred, as 
he prepared to obey. 

“I wish I knew. If you should ask Geronimo 
156 


THE COMING OF THE TROOPS 


or Natchez you might get an answer to your 
question. We shall go after them, but no one 
knows how long we’ll be on the way.” 

Alfred 'hastily mounted the pony which one 
of the men brought forward at the word of the 
captain and then the party hastily departed. 
There was a sense of security in Alfred’s mind 
now that had not been there before, although 
he was unaware of the destination of his com- 
panions. He was riding easily, his pony main- 
taining the steady gait to which the army horses 
had been trained. 

The young captain was silent now and left 
Alfred to his own reflections. As the party 
rode forward Alfred looked with fresh interest 
at the men, who seemed to have partaken of the 
intrepid spirit of the officer in charge. 

They had been riding an hour or more when 
Captain Lawton dropped back beside Alfred 
and said, “You told me your brother and you 
were hiding in Dead Man’s Canon?” 

“Yes, sir.” 

“Well, that’s right here. I think we ought 
to spare a few minutes to see if we can find any- 
thing that will show us what has become of 
your brother.” 


157 


CHAPTER XIV 

THE FIGHT IN THE CANON 

I N’ accordance with the direction of the leader, 
the band of horsemen soon after Captain 
Lawton spoke turned into the entrance to 
Dead Man’s Canon. As they advanced every 
man was using increased caution, aware that 
every bush or rock or even the sands of the 
desert might be the hiding place of some armed 
and watching Apache. 

In silence the men moved forward without 
discovering any signs of the presence of their 
enemies. When at last they arrived at the flat 
stone, where Alfred and his brother had repeat- 
edly found a place of refuge, the party dis- 
mounted and Captain Lawton accompanied 
Alfred as he led the way up the rock. 

Standing on the place where a little while 
before Alfred had stood with his brother, the 
Captain used his field glasses and peered in- 
tently in every direction. For a time not a 
word was spoken. Then handing his field 
158 


THE FIGHT IN THE CANON 


glasses to Alfred the captain said in a low 
voice, 4 ‘Look toward that split rock off at the 
right. Do you see anything unusual there?’ ’ 

Alfred followed the directions of the young 
officer and gazed intently at the split rock indi- 
cated by the captain. Apparently all that met 
his vision was a huge rock, torn in two by some 
mighty upheaval in the centuries past. Not a 
sign of life was the lad able to discover. 

At last he returned the glasses to the captain 
and said, “I can’t see anything except the bare 
rock.” 

“Try again. Look on the ground close to the 
place where the rock is split on your right. Do 
you see a little hummock there?” 

“I see a stone.” 

“Hold your glasses and see if the rock 
moves.” 

Alfred was excited now and once more peered 
through the glasses. To all appearances the 
stone was as immovable as the great rock above 
it. And yet just before he finished his observa- 
tion it did seem to him that the stone moved 
slightly. Was it his imagination? He peered 
again intently at the spot, but the stone was 
unchanged. 


159 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


“Pm not sure,” he said, as he extended the 
glasses to the officer. “I did think that the 
stone moved once, but I guess it was only be- 
cause you suggested it. Ho you think that 
really any of the Apaches are hiding there ? ’ y 
Captain Lawton did not reply as he once 
more lifted the glasses to his eyes. He, too, 
looked long and steadily at the spot, but when 
he restored the glasses to their place he made 
no reference to what he had seen. 

“ Where does this cave lead?” he inquired, as 
he turned and looked into the depths of the 
great cavern. 

< i Th ere ’g a branch that goes down to the side 
of the mountain. My brother and I have taken 
it a number of times when we didn’t have horses 
with us and were going back to our camp. The 
other main part of the cave leads through the 
mountains and comes out on the other side. ’ * 
“Pm afraid,” said the captain, thoughtfully, 
“that we’re in for a long siege. I’ve had my 
mules packed with supplies for sixty days and 
my impression is that we shall need that and 
more before we run down Geronimo and his fol- 
lowers. You know,” he added, thoughtfully, 
“Geronimo has come north one hundred and 
160 


THE FIGHT IN THE CAfrON 


fifty miles within fifteen days after General 
Miles took command out here.” 

“What!” exclaimed Alfred in surprise. 

“Yes, we’ve word of that already. What 
he’ll he up to now will be to split our forces 
and lead us on some wild chase through the 
Sierras. You know he has a range from Texas 
to California and from two hundred miles be- 
low the Mexican border up to New Mexico or 
even farther.” 

“But there aren’t very many of these 
Apaches, I understand,” protested Alfred, who 
was deeply interested in the words of the 
officer. 

“Not so many, but they are mighty persua- 
sive,” explained the captain with a smile. “A 
runner will start out and sometimes he can 
cover a hundred miles in a day. I never saw 
anything like it. They are peaceable and well 
behaved as a rule, but they think they are the 
finest things alive. I want you to watch that 
peak up yonder,” the captain added, as he 
pointed to a jagged spur of the mountain. 

Alfred obediently followed the suggestion 
and saw through the glasses which the captain 
again handed him that several men were mov- 
161 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


in g about the mountain peak. They apparently 
were no larger than ants and it would have 
been impossible for him to discover their pres- 
ence with the naked eye. 

Suddenly Alfred was startled when he saw a 
flash of light appear on the peak of the moun- 
tain. This was followed by others at regular 
or irregular intervals and in surprise he turned 
to his companion and said, 4 4 What are these 
flashes f ” 

“Heliostats,” replied the captain, dryly. It 
was plain he was deeply interested in what the 
men on the peak were doing and was not giving 
much heed to the questions of his companion. 

“What’s a heliostat?” 

Captain Lawton did not reply and Alfred de- 
cided to withhold his questions for the present. 

Meanwhile he was watching the flashes that 
steadily appeared upon the peak of the moun- 
tain. It was easy for him to conjecture that 
similar flashes were appearing at some other 
distant point and that in this way communica- 
tion between different positions of the army 
was being conducted. It was all intensely inter- 
esting, especially now when he felt as if he was 
a part of the army itself. 

162 


THE FIGHT IN THE CANON 


He glanced at the narrow gorge below him 
and saw that most of the men were seated or 
were lying on the ground. Evidently a special 
party had been despatched or by previous ar- 
rangement had gone to the peak where the helio- 
stats were now being used. 

i i I shall wait here, ’ ’ said the captain, quietly, 
“until the men come with their message. Our 
heliostats scare the Apaches more than any- 
thing we do. They can’t quite see how we get 
word between such distant divisions as some- 
times we do. It’s mighty interesting to hear 
them talk about it. They know that we do, 
but they don’t know just how it’s done. My 
feeling about this campaign is that it’s going 
to be a very hard one. I don’t think it will 
last a great while, but when General Miles 
starts on a work of this kind he never lets go. 
He has had a good deal of experience in fight- 
ing the Indians and you need only to look at 
his face to understand that what he says goes.” 
“Do you think there’ll be any fighting?” 

4 ‘I do,” said the captain abruptly, “and right 
here and now. Get back of that rock,” he or- 
dered sharply as he leaped from his position 
and started to rejoin his men. 

163 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


Although Alfred obeyed the command, he, 
nevertheless, was able to see now what had 
greatly disturbed the captain. 

Crouching and running from rock to rock he 
saw, about one hundred and fifty yards up the 
canon, numerous Indians that were plainly com- 
ing in the direction of the place where the men 
had halted. 

At the order of Captain Lawton the ponies 
were corralled and withdrawn and the men 
sought positions behind the rock and in silence 
waited for the coming of their foes. They were 
all aware that the Indians knew of their pres- 
ence and were approaching boldly, evidently 
confident in the superiority of their numbers. 

Alfred was almost fascinated by the sight be- 
fore him. He was breathing rapidly and in a 
measure almost ignored his own peril. He had 
stretched himself flat upon the rock and was 
again peering from the border, at the same 
time striving to keep his body concealed by the 
huge rock which rested nearby. 

He seldom turned his eyes away from the In- 
dians in the distance. They darted from rock 
to rock with indescribable quickness. As yet 
not a shot had been fired. 

164 


THE FIGHT IN THE CANON 

His attention was once more drawn to the 
cavalrymen, for a detachment by this time had 
now started in a circuitous way to advance up 
the canon. Evidently it was the plan of Cap- 
tain Lawton either to threaten an ambuscade 
or to prevent one. The soldiers ran singly, fol- 
lowing the example of the Indians, and dodged 
from rock to rock with a quickness and agility 
that were strange to the eyes of the watching 
boy. 

Suddenly the silence was broken by the re- 
port of a rifle. One of the Indians had fired but 
manifestly without inflicting any damage. 

No response was given the shot and the men 
who had advanced were now sheltered behind 
the rock near which the Indians must pass if 
they still continued to come down the canon. 

Another rifle was heard and quickly it was 
followed by the reports of several other guns, 
all fired by the Apaches. There was a wild 
yell now, for the Indians were aware that their 
presence was known. How many were in the 
force it was difficult to determine, so many of 
the red men had appeared as they had darted 
from the cover of one rock to that of another 
165 


THE APACHE CHIEF 

that it was almost impossible to estimate their 
numbers. 

Apparently now they were making no efforts 
to advance. From behind the rocks they were 
firing at the whites in the canon below them. 

Alfred wondered why Captain Lawton did 
not give the command for his men to fire. It 
would be impossible for them to await the com- 
ing of the Indians and the contest was likely 
to develop into one of skill and endurance. The 
party which was best equipped and most thor- 
oughly protected would doubtless be the one to 
survive. The stories which Zach and Captain 
Lawton had told him of the marvelous powers 
of endurance the Apaches possessed recurred 
to the anxious boy. He was eager to go down 
into the canon and join the men, but the orders 
of the captain had been sharp and the lad was 
not disposed to disobey. 

In a brief time the contest became more gen- 
eral. There was the report of a gun from the 
ground directly beneath him and as Alfred 
again peered over the border he saw one of the 
men pointing to a spot in advance. Looking 
in the direction indicated Alfred saw that one 
of the Indians had fallen from a rock and was 
166 


THE FIGHT IN THE CA&ON 

now lying motionless on the bottom of the 
canon. 

There was another yell from the excited 
Apaches and this was followed by a volley. 
Apparently, however, no damage was done. 
Either the Apaches were not good marksmen, 
or the cavalrymen were well protected. 

For a half honr the strange contest continued. 
At times the firing would be general and then 
would die away for a few minutes, to be re- 
sumed for reasons which were not clear to the 
watching boy. 

Perhaps the fact that none of the whites as 
yet had been hit caused them to become unduly 
careless. At all events several of the men 
whom Alfred had seen in their hiding places 
farther up the canon were exposing themselves 
more and more. 

At that very moment he suddenly discovered 
that several of the Apaches were on the side 
of the mountain only a few feet away from the 
place where he himself was lying. The sight 
was startling and Alfred was unable to con- 
jecture how the Indians had gained the posi- 
tion. Had they come through the cave or had 
they scaled the sides of the mountain? 

167 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


There was no time, however, to consider such 
matters, for the crisis was too acute. In a loud 
voice he called, “Captain! Captain Lawton! 
The Apaches are above you. Look at the side 
of the mountain.’ ’ 

His voice, however, did not carry and it was 
plain that his words had not been heard. 

Aware now of the desperate plight of his 
friend, Alfred’s first impulse was to rush down 
the pathway and inform the men of their dan- 
ger. In a moment, however, he was aware how 
futile such an effort would be and how perilous 
the attempt. His sole means of warning his 
friends of the threatening danger must be the 
use of his revolver. Instantly drawing the 
weapon he fired at an Apache whose body was 
exposed to view at that moment. 


CHAPTER XV 

THE FATE OF THE PRISONER 

W HEN Jack looked out from the Apache 
hut and saw the young Indian brandish- 
ing the dress of the little child his first feeling 
was one of horror. He did his utmost, however, 
to control his emotion and as he watched the 
young Indian who evidently was vain of his 
prowess, for the first time a feeling of fear 
swept over his heart. 

Of course he was familiar with the tales of 
the cruelty of the Apaches when they were on 
the warpath, but somehow these tales had not 
made a deep impression. They had been stories 
told by prospectors or trappers, and while he 
had no question that a measure of truth was 
contained in them, nevertheless he passed them 
by believing that the one who had told them had 
enlarged their scope with each repetition. 

Now, however, he was confronting a condi- 
tion which was not only threatening, but filled 
with peril. For the first time even after his 
169 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


terrible ride to the village, Jack was aware 
that his own fate rested upon the decision of 
these savages before him. 

For some reason he had not been confined 
within the hut. At first he had believed this 
freedom was due to their regard for him as one 
(who had not interfered with their plans or 
work. Now, however, he was convinced that his 
freedom was more apparent than real. 

In order to test the real condition he moved 
slowly away from the entrance to the hut. In- 
stantly one of the older braves approached him 
and uttering a warning word pointed back to 
the hut. Jack instantly obeyed though he did 
not quicken the pace at which he was moving. 
He was aware that his every act was watched 
by these keen-eyed Apaches and that any at- 
tempt to escape would be filled with danger. 

Returning to the hut he threw himself upon 
the ground and tried to think calmly over the 
condition in which he found himself. Would 
they compel him to run the gauntlet! Many 
stories had been told him of the cruel treatment 
of the red men and how, arranging every man, 
woman and child of the village in two parallel 
rows they had compelled the unfortunate vic- 
170 


THE FATE OF THE PRISONER 


tim to run between the lines while every one 
tried to strike him with stones, sticks or even 
with hatchets. The suggestion which he was 
unable to banish from his mind was one that 
chilled the blood of the engineer. 

The expressions which he saw upon the faces 
of the warriors contained no trace of mercy. 
Savage and silent, with eyes glistening almost 
as if they were on fire, the men moved slowly 
about the place and even the squaws and chil- 
dren apparently were sharing in the tense si- 
lence. The dogs, also, of which there were hun- 
dreds, apparently were subdued by the feelings 
of their masters. The very air itself was like 
that which preceded a thunder storm. At any 
moment there might be an outburst of fury vis- 
ited upon the unfortunate prisoner. He be- 
longed to the hated people who had taken the 
land and stolen the cattle of the Apaches. 

Late in the afternoon of that day, Jack was 
startled when there was an outcry and glanc- 
ing toward the entrance of the valley he saw 
a band of warriors approaching and in their 
midst were four white prisoners, each strapped 
upon a horse as Jack had been when he had 
been taken. 


171 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


The reception which the newcomers met was 
not unlike that which had been accorded him 
upon his entrance. There were shouts and 
cries of joy and the women and boys were at 
once engaged in taunting the unfortunate pris- 
oners. 

When the four whites had been released from 
the positions in which they were bound on the 
backs of the ponies, Jack peered intently at 
them, but he was unable to recognize any as 
men whom he had formerly met. They were, 
however, rough and brutal. Their faces were 
expressive of their fear, but it was plain to the 
young engineer that there might be abundant 
reasons why the Apaches had seized them in 
addition to the fact that they were on the war- 
path. 

Jack continued to watch the men as they 
were led past the hut in which he was confined 
and there was a feeling of relief in his heart 
when he saw that the four men were led to one 
hut and all were compelled to enter. His first 
thought after the shock of his discovery had 
been that he would find friends among the new 
prisoners and perhaps somehow they might de- 
vise a plan by which they might escape from 
172 


THE FATE OF THE PRISONER 


the village. There was nothing promising, how- 
ever, in the appearance or actions of the new 
prisoners, and when quiet in a measure at last 
had been restored he once more cast himself 
upon the ground within his hut. 

A half hour later another similar excitement 
arose. This time three prisoners were brought 
in by the warriors. These three in appearance 
at least were similar to those who had just pre- 
ceded them. To Jack’s relief they were taken 
to the same hut in which the others had been 
confined. Why he should be left alone he was 
unable to understand. There was a measure 
of comfort, however, in the thought that he 
would not be compellqd to share his room, if 
the hut might be called by that name, with those 
desperadoes who had been brought into the 
place. 

Just what the meaning of all this was re- 
mained hidden. Had there been an engagement 
and had the Apache warriors succeeded in mak- 
ing prisoners of the men who had been fighting 
them? Or had the warriors descended upon 
some ranch and seized and carried away the 
people there before they were aware of the 
approach of the red men? 

173 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


No additions had been made to the prisoners 
when at last the snn sank lower in the western 
sky. If Jack had believed that quiet once more 
was to rest over the Indian encampment he 
was soon undeceived. "When he peered forth 
from the door of his hut he was aware that a 
new and different excitement had seized upon 
the Apaches. The first feeling was one of fear. 
Were they about to lead forth their prisoners 
for the great performances with which he had 
often been told the Indians rewarded their war- 
riors when they returned with prisoners after 
a successful engagement with the enemy? In 
that event the gauntlet and the stake were not 
unlikely to follow. 

Doing his utmost to restrain his alarm he 
watched the proceedings about him with intense 
interest. He soon saw several implements, 
which he concluded must be drums, brought 
into the center of the settlement. He noticed 
in spite of his fear that these drums had been 
formed by drawing rawhide very taut over a 
hollow log. This log was about three feet in 
diameter. 

Soon after the drums had been placed in the 
desired position the drummers appeared and 
174 


THE FATE OF THE PRISONER 


instantly entered with zeal into the task as- 
signed them. Furiously they began to beat the 
drums, the noise and the loud beating steadily 
increasing as the moments passed. For a time 
no one among the Indians apparently gave any 
heed to the beating of the drums. 

1 Soon afterward the warriors began to as- 
semble and in a little while they began to move 
in a rhythmical manner as they circled the 
grounds. The number of dancers increased and 
the confusion, also, gathered headway as the 
dancing braves began to keep time with the 
beating of the drums with implements in their 
hands which reminded Jack more of rattles such 
as little children amuse themselves with than 
anything else. He saw that these rattles were 
composed of the claws of bears, the talons of 
eagles and deer ’s feet and bits of bone and small 
stones that were held in something that resem- 
bled a cup. 

Suddenly J ack was aware that a young Indian 
was approaching his hut. Jack’s interest was 
greatly intensified when he saw hanging about 
the neck of the young warrior a huge stone 
which even in the dim light gave forth a mar- 
velous brightness. 


175 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


Instantly lie was reminded of the Great Med- 
icine Stone which he had first seen in the hnt of 
the giant, the friend of Zach. How this war- 
rior had secured the stone or what its pres- 
ence implied he did not know. 

Speedily, however, his thoughts were recalled 
from the great Medicine Stone to the young 
brave himself. When the Indian entered the 
hut Jack was aware that he was looking into 
the face of the Apache whom he had seen in 
their camp on the side of the mountain. He 
was aware that the Indian spoke English, or 
at least a modified form of that language, and 
instantly he said, “What does this mean? What 
is this dance for?” 

“It’s Apache dance.” 

“Yes, I know, but what is it for? What does 
it mean? What are the Apaches going to do?” 

“They glad because they have prisoners.” 

“Where did the prisoners come from?” 

“I do not know.” 

“What is going to be done with them?” 

“We can’t tell until next day.” 

“Don’t you know who these men are?” 

Jack was aware as soon as he had asked the 
question that his visitor was keenly excited 
176 


THE FATE OF THE PRISONER 

and that a feeling of anger had taken hold upon 
him. 

‘ 4 They are men who steal Apache ponies. 
They burn our village. They steal our land.” 

“How do you know?” 

Disdaining to answer the young Apache said, 
“They have been brought here to suffer for 
what they have made our tribe suffer.” 

“You don’t mean to say that you yourselves 
will punish them? Why don’t you turn them 
over to General Miles?” 

There was a snort of anger from the young 
Indian as he said, “Apache nunish own pris- 
oners.” 

“Am I a prisoner?” 

“You are here.” 

“Yes, but am I a prisoner? Will you make 
me run the gauntlet? Will you burn me at the 
stake ? ’ ’ 

“You are prisoner,” said the Apache, “but 
not a prisoner like the others. You have not 
stolen our ponies.” 

“Where did you learn to speak English?” 
demanded Jack, abruptly. 

“At the school.” 

“At what school?” 


177 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


“I was sent east. I was there two, three 
years. I learn to speak your language, but I 
have partly forgot. When I come back to my 
tribe and wear white man’s clothes all the In- 
dian boys and girls make fun of me, the same 
as white boys and girls would make fun of an 
Indian boy if he should come into the city and 
be dressed as the Apache dress at home. They 
make fun of me every day. By and by I can 
stand it no longer. I put on Indian clothes and 
then I become an Apache again. I do more 
than I did before I went away.” 

“Are you sorry you went to school?” 

“I do not know. I’m glad I have seen some 
things, but I am Apache. I am Mescalero.” 

“Do you know what is going to be done with 
me?” demanded Jack abruptly. 

“It has not yet been decided.” 

“Have you decided about the other pris- 
oners?” 

“Yes.” 

“What is to be done with them?” 

“You must wait. Maybe you see.” 

“Will anything be done to-night?” 

‘ 6 They will wait until to-morrow. ’ y 

“Why did you come to see me?” 

178 


THE FATE OF THE PRISONER 


“To warn yon to be careful. Do not try to 
get away. Do not leave your hub to-night. 
Stay here until the sun comes to-morrow. You 
will then see what will happen to your friends.” 

“They are not my friends,” retorted Jack. 

‘ ‘ To the other white men. ” As he spoke the 
young Apache silently departed from the hut 
and Jack, who had been eager to make inquiries 
about his visit to the camp and also concern- 
ing his knowledge of what had befallen Alfred 
and the two men who had been left behind, was 
unable to ask his questions. 

The night passed without any disturbance 
and early in the light of the following morning 
the young prisoner hastily arose and peered out 
into the village. 

The sight which greeted his eyes was surpris- 
ing. Jack had not been clear as to what he 
might expect to see after the warning of the 
Indian the preceding day, but he was in no 
way prepared for the sight upon which he 
looked. 


CHAPTER XVI 

THE SEVEN WHITE PRISONERS 

E NTERING the little Indian village was a 
band of five American soldiers. They 
were all mounted and at the head was riding a 
young lieutenant who to Jack’s eager eyes did 
not appear to he more than twenty-three or 
twenty-four years of age. His soldierly bear- 
ing and the fearlessness with which he ad- 
vanced were marked as he approached, appar- 
ently disregarding the movements of the 
Apaches, who hastily divided and took positions 
on each side of the village so that they would 
be on the flank of the little advancing party. 

What the purpose of the approaching party 
was Jack was unable to conjecture. 

However, his interest in the coming of the 
white soldiers was undiminished. He contin- 
ued to watch them as they quietly advanced 
into the village. The dark eyes of the Apache 
warriors were almost glistening in their bright- 
ness. Without question it was a moment of 
180 


THE SEVEN WHITE PEISONEES 


tense anxiety for the young soldiers as they 
were unable to know what their reception would 
be. However, they were apparently unmind- 
ful of their danger and steadily moved forward 
until they arrived at the center of the village. 

There they halted and the young officer in 
command turned to one of his men who at 
the bidding advanced to the side of the lieu- 
tenant. A whispered consultation then took 
place between the two although neither was 
ignoring the conditions that surrounded them. 

Not a word as yet had been spoken by any 
of the Apaches. After the advance of the two 
bands, who easily might cut off the retreat of 
the white soldiers that had dared to venture 
within their sacred precincts, the lieutenant 
turned to a group of warriors standing in front 
of him and said, “I want to have a word with 
the chief.” 

He spoke in English and in a low tone of 
voice, although Jack was able distinctly to hear 
all that he said. 

For a time the red men gazed at the daring 
young officer without replying. After a brief 
pause the young officer said again, “I want to 
speak to the chief. Who is in command here?” 

181 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


Perhaps he was trusting that some of the In- 
dians were able to understand what he said 
and either would interpret his message to the 
warriors or provide some one who was familiar 
with both languages and could perform the du- 
ties of that office. 

Jack was keenly excited during the silence 
that followed. He was uncertain whether the 
very daring of the young officer had won for 
him such respect that he would not be attacked 
or at any moment the treacherous savages 
might fall upon him and his followers and not 
a trace of the daring young soldiers ever would 
be found afterward. 

At last a young Apache stepped forward and 
approached the place where the lieutenant was 
awaiting his coming. The warrior was young 
and as Jack gazed at him he was impressed by 
his bearing. Taller than most of his tribe, lithe 
and thin, his body showed great powers of en- 
durance. As the young engineer gazed at him, 
he was convinced that if any one among the 
Apaches could run one hundred miles in a day, 
as was the common report, this warrior must 
be one of those able to perform the wonderful 
act. 


182 


THE SEVEN WHITE PRISONERS 


J ack, in his ignorance, was not aware that he 
was looking upon Natchez, the hereditary chief- 
tain of the tribe. Strong and daring as the 
young chieftain was he lacked certain qualities 
of aggressive action which enabled Geronimo, 
although he was not born to the purple, to as- 
sume for himself the chieftainship of the tribe. 

A brief conversation between the lieutenant 
and the young Apache followed. It was carried 
on in such low tones, however, that Jack was 
unable to overhear what was said, although he 
was doing his utmost. 

The conversation lasted at least a quarter of 
an hour. Prom the appearance and bearing of 
either of the men there was nothing exciting 
in the conversation. Jack still was ignorant 
that the young officer was a recent graduate of 
West Point and had been assigned by General 
Miles to the particular task which he now was 
carrying out, because great confidence was 
placed in his courage and tactfulness. 

When at last the interview ended Natchez 
turned with quiet dignity from the place and 
once more rejoined his comrades who had been 
excited, though quiet, observers of the inter- 
view. He then spoke to them in a few words 
183 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


and turned away walking toward another part 
of the village. 

It was plain to Jack that the words of 
Natchez had aroused considerable opposition 
among his followers. There was an excited con- 
ference and the heads of the warriors were 
leaning forward as they tajked with one an- 
other in the compact body which they speedily 
formed. 

Meanwhile the young lieutenant and his fol- 
lowers remained where they were, although the 
leader and one of his men dismounted and 
stood holding the bridles of their ponies as 
they waited for the conference of the Indians 
to terminate. After fifteen minutes more had 
elapsed the words of the young Apache chief 
evidently had caused his braves to accede to 
his suggestion, whatever it might be. With one 
accord they turned away and proceeded at once 
to the hut in which the other white prisoners 
had been confined. 

Halting in front of the rude little building 
one of them entered and for a time was not 
seen. After a brief interlude he once more re- 
joined his companions who at his bidding 
formed in lines on either side of the pathway, 
184 


THE SEVEN WHITE PRISONERS 


plainly waiting for some one within the hut to 
come out. 

Jack’s conjecture speedily proved to be cor- 
rect. Slowly the white prisoners one by one 
withdrew from the building and at a word 
from the leader of the Indian band took their 
places together in front of the hut. When 
all had withdrawn one of the Indians spoke in 
a low voice to the prisoners and in a manner 
which evidently they understood. Without a 
word of protest they followed him as he led 
the way back to the place where the lieutenant 
and his men were waiting. 

Approaching the lieutenant the Indian in 
command spoke in a low voice and then turn- 
ing made a gesture toward the white prisoners. 
It was plain then to Jack that the white men 
were greatly terrified. Doubtless there were 
fears of being led forth to their execution or to 
the tortures which the Apaches many times in- 
flicted upon those who became their prisoners. 
They were keenly surprised when they saw the 
cavalrymen from the army of General Miles 
awaiting their coming into the village. 

The surprise of the prisoners was still 
greater when at a word from the young lieu- 
185 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


tenant they formed in line and followed him 
and the cavalrymen as they turned and after 
consulting Natchez slowly departed from the 
Indian village, followed by the white men who 
had been prisoners ^f the Apaches. 

Almost fascinated by the sight and keenly 
disappointed that he was not of the number, 
Jack watched them as long as they could be 
seen and then greatly puzzled to account for 
what had occurred he turned and reentered his 
hut. As he did so he was aware that the young 
Indian who had related to him his experiences 
in an eastern school and who evidently was 
one of the leaders in the tribe, was approaching. 

Jack well knew that if he betrayed undue 
interest he would defeat the very purpose which 
he most desired to accomplish. Assuming 
therefore a calmness which he was far from 
experiencing he waited for the young Indian 
to come near. 

“ White prisoners gone,” remarked the In- 
dian after he had seated himself opposite Jack. 

“So I see.” 

“Yes, they have gone. I do not know why 
Natchez was willing.” 

“What has happened to them!” 

186 


THE SEVEN WHITE PRISONEES 

“They are gone with the soldiers.” 

“Why did you let them go?” 

“Because the young officer explained that 
they would be punished by the white general.” 

“What for?” 

“They have stolen our horses. They are 
white thieves. They are bad men. The 
Apaches could not wait any longer. Our horses 
are gone and they are the men who stole them. ’ 7 
The eyes of the young Indian flashed as he 
spoke and his anger was so keen that even 
Jack somehow shared in his feeling over the 
outrages committed by these white desperadoes. 

Evidently they were men from the lowest 
classes to be found in a new country. Unwill- 
ing themselves to work they had done their ut- 
most to deprive other willing workers of the 
fruits of their' labors. The Apaches had suc- 
ceeded in rounding up seven of the treacher- 
ous men, but word had been sent by their friends 
to General Miles concerning their plight. Eager 
to avoid bloodshed and to preserve, if possible, 
the goodwill of the tribe and at the same time 
save the lives of the prisoners, though it could 
hardly be said that they deserved his help, 
General Miles had selected a tactful and brave 
187 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


young lieutenant tp visit the Indian village. 
His instructions were that he was to use his 
utmost care and try to obtain the release of 
the prisoners. The success which had attended 
the efforts of the young lieutenant were sur- 
prising to Jack, as doubtless they were to that 
young officer himself. 

“But why was I left?” inquired Jack, as he 
looked once more into the face of his visitor. 
“Why didn’t they send me away, too?” 

“You are not of their number.” 

“What is going to be done with me?” 

“I do not know.” 

“But I’ve not done anything to harm your 
tribe. I haven’t stolen any horses. Nor have 
I done any damage to your people.” 

“That’s true.” 

“Then why do you keep me here?” 

“I cannot say,” answered the Indian, 
“though I think it may be possible that they 
will trade you for some prisoners the white 
general has.” 

“Then you are not going to burn me at the 
stake ? ’ ’ 

The Indian shook his head but made no 
further reply. 


188 


THE SEVEN WHITE PRISONERS 


“How long am I to be kept here?” 

“That I do not know.” 

At that moment the young Indian drew from 
under bis skirt the Great Medicine Stone which 
he flashed at Jack. 

Surprised as the prisoner was by the reap- 
pearance of the stone which now he had come to 
regard with something of the awe with which 
Zach and Wheat spoke of it, he said, “Where 
did you get that Stone?” 

The Indian shook his head and did not an- 
swer. 

“I’m told that it brings bad luck to the one 
that has it.” 

The Indian smiled scornfully, but still was 
silent. 

‘ ‘ They say that if you look into the stone at 
the beginning of the month you can see what is 
going to happen to you within the next thirty 
days,” suggested Jack. 

Still the Indian did not respond. 

“Do you know where that stone was? Do 
you know that we saw that same stone in the 
hands of a white man in our camp? How did 
you get it away?” 

“It belongs to our tribe. I did not steal it. 
189 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


To take what belongs to one is not stealing/ * 
“How did it come to belong to you?” 

“It is a long story and I cannot tell it all 
now. Some day perhaps I will explain, but 
now that the Great Medicine Stone is back in 
our tribe you will see that it doesn’t bring bad 
luck. You must take it and look into it.” 

Jack extended his hand to receive the stone 
from his visitor, but as he did so he was sur- 
prised when he looked up and saw two of the 
Indians approaching the place where he and his 
visitor were seated. From the expressions 
upon their faces he suspected that they were 
not the bearers of good tidings. 

Hastily returning the stone to the young In- 
dian he said, “Here come a couple of your 
braves and from their looks I think they are 
bringing the bad luck about which you were 
speaking a little while ago.” 


CHAPTER XVII 

UNDERNEATH THE MOUNTAIN 

I T was impossible for Alfred to discover what 
the effect of his shot had been, for imme- 
diately after he had discharged the weapon he 
was startled by the discovery of the approach 
of several Indians through the cave. He saw 
them distinctly as they dodged from point to 
point. Without question they were aware of 
his presence and an attack upon him might be 
made at any moment. 

Startled by the unexpected sight, Alfred de- 
cided that his only hope of safety depended 
upon the speed with which he could rejoin Cap- 
tain Lawton and his men who were below him. 
Without hesitating a moment he turned and 
began to run swiftly down the rocky side of 
the mountain. 

He had not advanced far, however, before he 
was aware that another party of Apaches had 
preceded him. He was between the two bands, 
both of which were on the side of the mountain 
191 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


above the place where Captain Lawton and his 
men were protected by the rocks in the bed of 
the canon. 

It was impossible for the boy to advance and 
equally impossible for him to return. Almost 
in despair he glanced quickly about him and dis- 
covered a projecting rock. Underneath it was 
another rock, but there was a space between 
the two sufficient to conceal him if he should 
be able to crawl into it without being discov- 
ered. 

Instantly leaping upon the stone he dropped 
behind it and then crawled upon the bowlders, 
succeeding in this manner in working his way 
into the sheltered spot. 

It was impossible for him to know whether or 
not his movements had been seen by his ene- 
mies. Almost breathless he extended himself 
upon the ground and as he was able to see the 
pathway to his left he watched it steadily for 
the approach of the band which he had first 
discovered. 

Alfred had not been long in his position be- 
fore he heard the approach of the band which 
was coming from below. Apparently they were 
not aware of his presence and he watched them, 
192 


UNDERNEATH THE MOUNTAIN 


almost fascinated by the sight as they rapidly 
passed the rock behind which he was hiding. 
Their bodies glistened in the sunlight and al- 
though the warriors were comparatively small 
men there was a lithe activity in their move- 
ments that displayed the power they possessed. 
Plainly they were excited and were moving 
rapidly, although the object which brought them 
on was unseen by the watching boy. 

When at last the entire band had passed, Al- 
fred abruptly decided to crawl out from his 
hiding place and attempt to make his way down 
the side of the mountain. Both bands then 
would be behind him and unless something un- 
foreseen occurred he might be able to make the 
descent. 

Instantly acting upon the suggestion he 
crawled from behind the rock and began to run 
swiftly down the mountain side. He was in 
such haste that he did not even once glance 
behind him. Whether or not his shot had 
aroused Captain Lawton and his men he was 
unable to perceive. However, his thoughts now 
were upon his own safety and he exerted all his 
strength in his flight. 

Swiftly, without halting a moment, Alfred 
193 ' 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


leaped from rock to rock and dashed down 
the smoother places of the pathway. At some 
time a mountain torrent had worked its way 
among the rocks and the bed of the stream 
which now was dry, was clearly indicated. 

Not a sound had been heard from the 
Apaches behind him, when at last he gained 
the bed of the canon. Without halting he then 
turned and ran swiftly in the direction in which 
he had seen the captain. It was not difficult 
climbing now although he was ascending with 
every step. He was soon in a dripping per- 
spiration and the excitement which gleamed 
from his eyes intensified the wildness of his 
expression. It was a fight and flight for life. 

He had not advanced far before he was aware 
that the white men behind him were engaged 
in a sharp contest. He heard distinctly the 
reports of their guns and an occasional shout 
or cry indicated that some at least were suf- 
fering from the effects of the fight. 

Before he was able to rejoin his recent com- 
rades, however, Alfred suddenly discovered 
that it was impossible for him to advance any 
farther. There were Apaches between him and 
194 


UNDERNEATH THE MOUNTAIN 


the place which the Captain had selected for 
his camp. 

The sides of the canon abounded in clefts 
and his former success instantly caused Alfred 
to decide to crawl into one of these openings 
and there either await the outcome of the strug- 
gle or if he should find that it was possible for 
him to rejoin the white men, he would be in a 
position from which it would be possible for 
him to move quickly. 

A half hour passed after the lad gained the 
place he was seeking before the canon became 
quiet again. Abruptly the noise of the fighting 
ceased. 

The outcome was not clear and Alfred de- 
cided to remain in his hiding place until he had 
discovered what the prospect was likely to be. 

Still not a sound was heard. The white men 
did not return nor had he seen any of the In- 
dian bands. 

It was then that he crawled out from the 
rock and once more began to move up the 
canon toward the place where he had last seen 
his friends. 

He had advanced as far as it seemed 
necessary to go and still not a trace of Cap- 
195 


THE APACHE CHIEF 

tain Lawton’s men could lie discover. Had 
they been overtaken by misfortune? Had the 
Apaches captured them all? Still, however, 
there were no signs of the presence of the In- ^ 
dians, a fact which was almost as puzzling as 
his inability to find any indications of what 
had become of the soldiers. 

Advancing cautiously until he was convinced 
that he had passed the place recently held by 
.Captain Lawton, Alfred then halted and looked 
^bout him. The silence that rested over the 
great canon was unbroken. There was noth- 
ing to indicate that a contest between savage 
fighters of two races had recently occurred. 
Apparently all the warriors had disappeared, 
although it was difficult for Alfred to under 
stand how all could have gone without leaving 
any trace behind them. His meditations were 
abruptly broken when he discovered in front 
of him three Indians in the valley. At the same 
moment they, also, became aware of his pres- 
ence and one of them instantly discharged his 
rifle. The bullet, however, went wide of its 
mark, but Alfred needed no further incentive 
to depart from the region. 

Instantly turning about he fled down the bed 
196 


UNDERNEATH THE MOUNTAIN 


of the canon and was aware that the three 
Apaches were quickly in swift pursuit. The 
stories which Zach and Wheat had told him 
of the running powers of the red men recurred 
to him and served to increase the speed at 
which he was running. On and on sped pur- 
suer and pursued, apparently neither being able 
to gain very much upon the others. Alfred fled 
until he came near the foot of the mountain. At 
his left was the stream which passed under 
the base of the mountain and through which 
he had gone when he and his brother had made 
the successful passage to the place where the 
hut of the hermit had stood. 

Instantly the thought occurred to him that 
the Indians might not be aware of this under- 
ground passage and if he should be harder 
pressed he might find a way of escape by once 
more passing through the stream. 

He was breathing heavily when he stopped 
to listen for sounds of his pursuers. Nor had 
he long to wait. In a brief time he discovered 
the Indian who was leading the pursuit. The 
warrior, also, saw him at the same moment 
and with a wild shout to his comrades indicat- 
197 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


in g his discovery he darted forward with in- 
creasing speed. 

Without delaying a moment Alfred instantly 
leaped into the stream and made his way 
swiftly forward until he came to the spot where 
the stream passed underground. As he arrived 
at the spot he halted a moment to glance be- 
hind him once more. Not a sound greeted his 
ears, but beyond the bushes which lined the 
shores of the stream he fancied that he saw 
one of the red men. 

Without waiting to verify his suspicion he 
instantly turned and began to make his way 
through the swiftly flowing water. Soon he 
was beyond the light and thick darkness was 
all about him. His alarm increased, for it 
seemed to the terrified boy that unseen hands 
might be extended to seize him, or that in some 
way the Indians might know of another en- 
trance to the hidden stream which they might 
use and thereby cut off his flight. 

His speed, however, increased with his alarm 
and although he twice fell into the water and his 
weapons were filled, nevertheless, he speedily 
regained his footing and dashed forward. 

Strange as the experience was, in the midst of 
198 


UNDERNEATH THE MOUNTAIN 


his flight Alfred had a vision for a moment of 
his distant home. He fancied that he could 
see his aunt busied in her household tasks and 
his sisters as they were seated on the front 
piazza. Even the dog on the doorstep was 
plainly seen. Indeed, for an instant the vision 
seemed to be as real as the experience through 
which he was passing. 

In a moment, however, all of the strength 
of the lad was exerted in his efforts to advance. 
The water noisily was rushing past him and 
again he stepped upon a slippery rock and lost 
his foothold. 

Speedily he was running once more and now 
began to look for the first glimpse of the light 
which would appear wdien he came to the exit 
of the stream. It was impossible for him to 
know whether or not the Apaches had followed 
him into the underground passage. Not far in 
front him, however, was the bank on which 
the giant hermit had formerly had his hut. The 
thought brought fresh courage to the desperate 
lad and redoubling his efforts he soon obtained 
a glimpse of the light for which he had been 
long waiting. 

Encouraged by the sight, he redoubled his 

199 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


efforts and in a brief time arrived at a place 
near that where the stream came out from be- 
neath the mountain. 

When he arrived, however, the fear of the 
Apaches was still so strongly upon him that he 
did not immediately come out into the light. He 
attempted to listen for sounds that might indi- 
cate the approach of his pursuers, but if they 
were near the noisy waters prevented him from 
hearing them. 

Convinced at last of his inability to learn 
whether or not the Apaches had followed him 
beneath the mountain, he then slowly ap- 
proached the exit of the stream. When he came 
near the open space he halted a moment to look 
before him. 

Startled by what he beheld he remained 
standing, looking at Zach and "Wheat, both of 
whom were before him, digging in the ashes of 
the hermit’s hut. How they had come or what 
their object in making the investigations among 
the ruins could be he did not know. The sight* 
however, of his former friends was encouraging 
and he instantly dashed forward to the exit. 

As he stood in the open light he called 
sharply, ‘ ‘ Zach! Zach!” 

200 


UNDERNEATH THE MOUNTAIN 


Startled by the unexpected hail both white 
men instantly stood erect, seizing their guns 
and together turning toward the place from 
which the loud call had come. 

“Put up your guns,” called Alfred, “you 
needn’t be afraid of me.” 

“Are you alone?” called Zach. 

“Yes,” answered Alfred as he climbed up 
the bank. “At least I think I am. There were 
three Apaches following me on the other side 
of the mountain but whether or not they have 
come down the stream, I don’t know.” 

“How do you happen to be here?” asked 
Wheat, gruffly. 

“I was trying to get away from the Apaches. 
Captain Lawton has a force of cavalrymen on 
the other side of the mountain and they have 
been fighting a band of Apaches. I tried to 
join them, but they chased me and I’ve just 
managed to get away. What are you doing 
here?” he added as he glanced keenly about 
him. 

“We’re looking for the Medicine Stone,” ex- 
plained Zach. “I had it back in our camp, but 
I think that young Apache took it away with 
him. They are mighty superstitious about those 
201 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


things and I didn’t know but what he might 
have brought it back here where the hermit had 
it so long. We don’t find any signs of it, how- 
ever.” 

* ‘ There are other signs, though,” broke in 
Wheat gruffly. At his word all three men in- 
stantly turned and glanced toward the place 
where the stream came out from beneath the 
mountain. 


CHAPTER XVni 

THE FLIGHT AND PUESUIT 

A BOVE the rushing stream Alfred saw dis- 
tinctly two heads appear which he at once 
knew to be Indians’ and a moment later a third 
head, also, was seen. It was at once evident 
that the Indians were aware of the underground 
passage and had made use of it on the present 
occasion. When the hermit had disappeared be- 
neath the mountain and Alfred had discovered 
the means by which he had concealed his dis- 
appearance he had believed that the passage 
must be unknown except to the hermit himself. 
Otherwise he would not have relied upon it as 
a sure protection nor have erected his hut near 
the spot where the stream emerged from be- 
neath the mountain. 

Alfred’s meditations, however, we**e quickly 
interrupted. Both Zach and Wheat, as soon as 
they discovered the approach of the Indians, 
had fired at the heads of the warriors. 

The three heads instantly disappeared, but 
203 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


it was impossible to determine whether the 
shots had taken affect. Alfred’s rifle, as we 
know, was now useless because he had fallen 
into the water several times in his hasty pas- 
sage through the swiftly flowing current. 

“That will do for them!” said Zach as the 
heads disappeared from sight. 

“But there will be others coming, boy,” sug- 
gested Wheat in a low voice. “They know the 
way underground and you may be sure that they 
know the way over the mountain, so the only 
thing for us to do in my opinion is to get out 
of this just as soon as we can leave.” 

For a moment Zach turned and looked ear- 
nestly at the ruins of the hermit’s hut. It was 
plain that he still had thoughts of the lost Medi- 
cine Stone and was eager to regain it. All the 
reports of the bad luck which it had brought 
its possessors apparently had not deterred him 
in his eagerness to obtain possession of the 
stone. 

Jack had explained to his younger brother 
that in his opinion the stone was not of any 
special value and was merely an unusual speci- 
men of quartz. 

Zach was an experienced prospector and the 
204 


THE FLIGHT AND PURSUIT 


fact that he believed that the stone possessed 
great value had inspired him in his search, al- 
though the stone already had twice disappeared 
in a most mysterious manner. 

At the present time, however, there was 
slight opportunity for Zach to continue his in- 
vestigations. Alfred was firm in his opinion 
that the Indians in spite of their superstitious 
fears had not restored the stone to the place 
where Jack had first found it. 

All these matters, however, were speedily 
lost sight of as Wheat repeated his demand 
for the speedy departure of all three from the 
place where they were standing. “We’ll have 
them around us like a nest of hornets,” he 
declared. 

As he spoke Wheat was keenly watching the 
spot where the stream emerged from beneath 
the mountain, apparently suspicious that the 
three men who had first appeared had been only 
the forerunners of a body which might be fol- 
lowing. 

The heads, however, did not appear again, 
and as Alfred looked about him and saw the 
steep and bleak sides of the mountains it was 
almost impossible for him to believe that there 
205 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


was any other way of approach to the spot 
where the hermit’s house had stood. The lad 
already had had sufficient experience to con- 
vince him that first impressions among the Ari- 
zona mountains were not always to be relied 
upon. The air, the color of the soil, the very 
bleakness of the mountains itself all combined 
to produce fantastic impressions upon one who 
was not accustomed to dwell in their midst. 

“Come along,” repeated Wheat, and as he 
at once turned from the place and Zach after 
a momentary hesitation followed, Alfred in- 
stantly decided that his place was in the line 
of his friends. In single file the three men led 
by Wheat swiftly made their way up the side 
of the mountain where at first Alfred had been 
unable to discover any trace of a trail. 

He was aware that both Zach and Wheat 
frequently halted and peered intently behind 
them. The silence of the great canon was un- 
broken. The sun was near the peaks of the 
mountains and within two hours night would 
be at hand. How they would be able to find 
their way over the mountain trails in the dark- 
ness was incomprehensible to Alfred, neverthe- 
less he steadily followed the men. 

206 


THE FLIGHT AND PURSUIT 


It was not long before be was traveling more 
rapidly and bis face was streaming with per- 
spiration. Tbe bigb altitude, tbe difficulties of 
tbe trail, tbe necessity of climbing from rock 
to rock as well as keeping bis friends witbin 
sight, all combined to increase Alfred’s diffi- 
culties. He was bot and tired and it bad been 
a long time since food or water bad passed 
bis lips. Wbitber be was going be did not know. 
That all three of them were in danger was evi- 
dent from tbe experiences of tbe past few 
minutes. 

At that moment Wheat who still was leading 
tbe little procession, abruptly baited and waited 
for bis companions to join him. As they came 
near be motioned to them both to follow bis 
example and crouch low upon tbe ground. It 
was evident that be bad seen or suspected dan- 
ger. 

“Look up yonder,” be whispered, to Zach. 
“What do you make out right by that rock 
that is shaped like a Mexican’s bat?” 

Zacb obediently looked in tbe direction indi- 
cated and Alfred without any bidding followed 
bis example. Tbe lad was unable to discover 
anything alarming in tbe sight, but tbe fact 
207 


THE APACHE CHIEF 

that Wheat had been frightened was not to be 
denied. 

After a long inspection Zach said quietly, 
“I’m rather thinking that you’re right, Wheat. 
To me that looks mighty suspicious.” 

At that moment there was a shower of ar- 
rows that fell upon the watching party. One 
arrow pierced the body of WTieat who fell for- 
ward upon his face. Zach grasped his arm 
through the sleeve of which another arrow had 
passed. Alfred, fortunately, had escaped all 
harm, but he was terrified as he instantly be- 
came aware that they were either surrounded 
by or were in the presence of their bitter foes. 

“Wheat’s done for,” declared Zach, as he 
leaned forward and gazed into the face of his 
friend. 

“Are you sure?” whispered Alfred as he 
glanced in every direction in his alarm, 
t “Of course, I’m sure. The only thing we can 
do is to leave him where he is. You and I 
will have to go ” 

Zach stopped abruptly for at that moment 
the report of a rifle was heard and the old 
prospector fell to the ground. 

Terrified by the sound and sight, Alfred in- 
208 


THE FLIGHT AND PUESUIT 


stantly turned and fled from the place. There 
were only slight indications of the trail which 
at the place where Wheat had halted seemed 
to divide, one branch leading up over the moun- 
tain and the other on toward the canon in the 
distance. 

It was not the path by which they had made 
the ascent, but without hesitating a moment 
Alfred plunged forward and began to run rap- 
idly down the side of the mountain. For a 
while it seemed to him that the Apaches were 
on every side. Several times he fancied that' 
he heard the report of guns. His hunger and 
thirst now were ignored in his flight. His sole 
thought was to escape from the region in which 
rifles were discharged and arrows flew appar- 
ently from the ground itself. 

The sounds now no longer could be heard. 
The night was at hand and the abruptness with 
which darkness settled over the land was well 
known by Alfred. 

As he stepped forward he suddenly became 
aware that some one was following. He gave 
one glance behind him and was convinced that 
his pursuer was an Apache. Stories of the 
swiftness with which the Apache ran and the 
209 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


tirelessness of their pursuit recurred to him. 
For a moment an indescribable terror seized 
upon the boy, but his heart was true and in a 
brief time he recovered a measure of self-pos- 
session. Then occurred to him the words of 
his older brother, who one time in the midst 
of sickness and pain had said with a smile on 
his face , 4 4 Alfred, there’s one thing you’ll never 
hear from me.” “ What’s that?” the boy had 
asked. “You’ll never hear me whine, no mat- 
ter what happens.” The words now were in 
Alfred’s mind and in a measure served to re- 
store his courage. He did his utmost to in- 
crease the speed at which he was running but 
his efforts were unavailing. He saw that the 
Indian was following steadily, remaining at 
about the same distance all the time. Why he 
did not fire, Alfred could not conjecture but up 
to the present at least he had not been molested. 

Still the mad flight continued. Exert him- 
self as he might Alfred was unable to shake off 
his pursuer. What was the warrior planningt 
Was he waiting until the night had settled over 
the land? What advantage would the darkness 
bring him? The actions were incomprehensible 
210 


THE FLIGHT AND PURSUIT 


to the fleeing boy, but he nevertheless was still 
running at his utmost speed. 

In this way a considerable distance had been 
covered, but a feeling of helplessness settled 
upon the heart of the boy. The bleakness of the 
great hills, the desolation that rested over the 
region, the silence that was broken only by 
the sounds of his own footfalls combined to 
dishearten him. He was alone, he did not know 
where he was going, he was hungry and tired, 
and was pursued by a relentless foe, who for 
some strange reason was remaining at a fixed 
distance behind him. 

There were moments when Alfred was eager 
to fire upon his tormentor. He was aware, how- 
ever, that his rifle was useless and that he was 
without other weapons. Unquestionably the 
pursuing Apache was well armed and still the 
question remained unanswered, why the war- 
rior did not shoot at his fleeing enemy. 

The time soon came, however, when the white 
boy was unable to continue his exertions. He 
quickly became aware that his flight soon would 
be ended. Every effort now required a double 
exertion. His side was paining him and his 
breath came in gasps. He was almost at the 
211 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


end of Ms resources. Once more he had a mo- 
mentary vision of his older brother. Where 
was Jack? Had he too fallen a victim to the 
treacherous Apaches? In spite of his courage 
a great sob escaped the trembling lips of Alfred 
when at last, utterly worn out by his long flight, 
he seated himself upon a rock beside the trail 
and with such calmness as he could acquire 
awaited the coming of Ms foe. 

As he glanced above him he saw that the 
speed of the Indian decreased. Certain of his 
prey the warrior now no longer continued his 
exertions. Fearful that the approaching 
Apache might be followed by others Alfred 
looked hastily in every direction, but was un- 
able to discover the presence of any one in the 
region except himself and the Indian. As the 
Apache came nearer Alfred discovered that the 
warrior somehow seemed to be familiar. It 
was evident that he was young and when he 
advanced several yards nearer the place where 
Alfred was sitting the white boy was surprised 
when he discovered that the approaching In- 
dian was none other than the one whom he 
had last seen in their camp and was believed 
212 


THE FLIGHT AND PURSUIT 


by Zach to have stolen the Medicine Stone from 
that place. 

What the meaning of his pursuit was Alfred 
did not know, but a measure of courage re- 
turned to him when he was fully convinced 
that he was correct in his surmise. A few min- 
utes later he was positive that the Indian was 
indeed the same one who had been a frequent 
visitor in the camp which he and his brother 
had established on the mountain side. 

“Why you run?” inquired the Indian as he 
drew near. 

“Why did you run?” gasped Alfred. 

“I want to see you.” 

“Well, you see me now.” 

“Yes,” acknowledged the warrior as he 
stood for a moment and looked down at Alfred, 
who was now visibly showing the effect of his 
exertion. Even then, however, Alfred glanced 
at the young Apache and was surprised when 
he discovered that to all appearances the young 
Indian was breathing regularly and was not 
perspiring and yet the pace at which he had 
been running was swift. Evidently the stories 
of Zach concerning the fleetness and endurance 
of the Apaches had been well founded. 

213 


CHAPTER XIX 

SENT AWAY 

I NSTANTLY thoughts of the Medicine Stone, 
about which he had been recently talking 
with the young Indian, vanished from Jack’s 
mind. With keen interest he watched the young 
warriors as they drew near the hut. Their 
bodies were glistening in the sunlight and their 
intense nervous energy was manifest in spite of 
the slow pace at which they were walking. 
Most of all he was impressed by the expressions 
in their eyes which were like points of burning 
fire. 

Ignoring the presence of Jack the young 
braves at once approached the Indian and en- 
gaged in an earnest conversation with him. Of 
course Jack did not understand anything that 
was said, although it was not difficult for him 
to infer that he himself was the topic of fhe 
conversation. Occasionally the dark eyes of 
the Indians turned upon him and he required 
214 


SENT AWAY 


no words to inform him that their feelings were 
intensely hostile. 

For a moment he was depressed and alarmed. 
Somehow he was convinced that his own fate 
was now being decided. 

Aware as he was of the treacherous nature 
of the Apaches and the cruelty with which they 
treated their prisoners in time of war, he had 
slight cause for hope. Puzzled and mystified 
as he had been by the abrupt departure of the 
other white men he was, nevertheless aware 
that his own problem was very different. Al- 
though he had not taken any part in the fight- 
ing he was fully aware of the anger which pos- 
sessed the tribe. They were at war and on 
every side were indications that they were re- 
lentless in their determination to pursue it to 
the utmost of their power. 

The fact that Geronimo had not been stopped 
in his career by the efforts of General Crook 
had served to strengthen the confidence of the 
Apaches in their leader. And there was much 
to confirm them in this attitude. In spite of his 
utmost efforts the general had failed to stop 
his foe. The wily Apache had not only evaded 
the forces of the general but also had strength- 
215 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


ened his own grip upon his immediate follow- 
ers. There was no question now that every 
Apache, including Natchez, the hereditary chief- 
tain, was devoted to Geronimo, and now looked 
upon him as the natural leader of their tribe. 

Jack of course did not understand any of 
the words that were spoken as has been said, 
but he, nevertheless, watched the Indians with 
intense interest. He did his utmost to restrain 
his feelings and tried to be as impassive in 
his expression as a warrior might have been. 
Whether or not he succeeded in his attempt he 
did not know. 

In a brief time the two warriors departed, 
from the hut, walking in the same dignified and. 
deliberate manner in which they had ap- 
proached. 

The young Indian, who still was nameless, 
for a time did not speak and he too was watch- 
ing the departing members of his tribe with an 
interest that apparently was as keen as that 
of the prisoner. 

At last the young Indian said, “Do you know 
my name?” 

“No.” 

“It’s Henry Kendall.” 

216 


S£NT away 

“But that’s a white man’s name,” suggested 
Jack in surprise. 

“That’s my white name.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“That’s the name by which I was called 
when I was in the school far in the East.” 

“How did you happen to get that name?” 

“They gave it to me because there was a 
good man here. His name was Henry Kendall. 
I was in his school and when we left, five of us 
were given that same name.” 

“Didn’t you get confused?” 

“No, my Indian name is Oconnoega.” 

“What shall I call you?” inquired Jack. 

“It will be easier for you to say Henry, so 
you may call me in that way. Do you know 
what the braves said to me when they were 
talking?” 

“No.” 

“They told me that you’re to be sent away.” 

“When.” 

“Now.” 

“Where am I to go?” 

Henry shook his head as he said, “They did 
not say. I do not know, but if you follow my 
advice you ’ll not wait here to find that out. The 
217 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


sooner yon leave us the better it will be for 
you. No one can tell when the Apaches may 
change their minds and decide to hold you 
here. And if you stay something worse may 
follow.” 

“Of course I’ll go,” said Jack eagerly, 
“though I don’t understand yet why it is that 
they send me away.” 

“Do not wait to find out, but go. I shall 
lead the way and you must follow me. When 
you’re beyond the village you’ll have to follow 
your own plan.” 

“But I haven’t any plan.” 

“Then you must make one,” said the young 
Indian sharply — “unless you wish to stay here 
and have us plan for you.” 

There was a glow in the eyes of Henry that 
instantly caused Jack to say, “I’m ready any 
time you are.” 

“Then we’ll start now. You’re not to take 
your gun nor will you have any other weapon. 
You’ll not be given any food or water, as the 
village is short. A pony will be given you ” 

“A pony?” broke in Jack eagerly. “I didn’t 
suppose they would give me that.” 

At once Henry turned and led the way 
218 


SENT AWAY 


toward the border of the village. Jack followed 
obediently, doing his ntmost to appear calm. 
His heart, however, was beating rapidly and 
he was more fearful than he was willing to 
acknowledge even to himself. Suspicious of the 
Apaches and well aware of their treacherous 
nature he would not have been surprised any 
moment to have heard the whiz of an arrow or 
the sound of the report of a rifle. 

He was fully aware, also that he was the ob- 
ject of an intense interest on the part of the 
people. Even the hundreds of dogs were si- 
lent, while the boys and girls gazed at him 
stolidly as he passed them. 

Unaware still of the cause of this unexpected 
treatment, Jack nevertheless gained confidence 
as he and his companion drew nearer the bor- 
der. When at last they had passed out from 
the village and approached a pony which was 
fettered nearby he began to breathe more 
freely. At least he had escaped from the vil- 
lage, although he still was fearful of what 
might lie before him. 

At a signal from his companion he quickly 
mounted the pony. As has been said he had 
no food or water and was without any means 
219 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


of defending himself. He did not know in which 
direction to go, nor how far he was from any 
white habitation. Still he was eager to be 
gone and as Henry raised his hand Jack abrupt- 
ly started on his journey. 

Twice he turned and looked behind him and 
saw that the young Indian was still standing 
on the spot where he had left him. Whether or 
not he was acting as a guard, Jack was some- 
how convinced that Henry was his friend, or 
was simply eager to make certain that the young 
white visitor had gone beyond the confines of 
the village. 

J ack had not advanced far before he stumbled 
upon what appeared to be a partly worn trail. 
For a moment he hesitated and then with a 
boldness he was far from feeling he turned 
his pony into the trail and started toward the 
south. Whether or not he was more likely to 
find friends in that direction he did not know, 
but he must move and it was simpler to start 
in that way. 

Riding rapidly when he first set forth, when 
a half-hour had elapsed and Jack found that 
he was in a valley, he brought his pony to a 
walk and peered carefully in every direction. 

220 


SENT AWAY 


Not a sound of the presence of a human being 
could he discover. Apparently he was alone. 
Far below him stretched away in the distance 
the sands of the desert. Its very bleakness 
now had a terror of its own, for soon he 
would be suffering from hunger or thirst — 
an experience which his pony evidently would 
share. The faithful little animal had been 
trained by the tireless Apaches and had gained 
certain of the qualities of the endurance which 
were characteristic of that tribe. He was able 
to maintain the pace at which he had been mov- 
ing hour after hour. Then too he had become 
accustomed to the lack of water and food which 
attended a journey across the desert and for 
that reason Jack’s fears were slightly relieved. 
Meanwhile the trail led slowly down the moun- 
tain side. Still Jack did not understand why 
he was following it, but directions were all 
vague in his mind and with every passing mo- 
ment he placed a greater distance between him- 
self and the Indian village from which he re- 
cently had departed. 

Not once had he dismounted when two hours 
had elapsed. He then brought his pony to a 
halt and shading his eyes with his hands peered 
221 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


out across the sandy desert. He was now not 
more than one hundred and fifty feet above the 
level stretch. In the immediate vicinity even 
the cactus bushes were few. He recalled the 
story of how the Apaches drew moisture from 
the roots of the plant by which they quenched 
their thirst. If he was driven to it at least he 
could test that plan. 

He gave his pony a rest of ten minutes and 
then prepared to resume his journey. He drew 
rein upon the horse once more and again shad- 
ing his eyes peered intently at a point in the 
desert near the mountains far to the south. 
Something was moving. He watched the little 
spot until it became larger and then gazing 
through his hands he was somehow convinced 
that the band which he saw far below him was 
composed of white men. 

Quickly resuming his flight he urged his pony 
into a faster pace and soon arrived at the rim 
of the desert. He still could see the party in 
the distance and now was strengthened in his 
belief that the white men made up the body. 
Very likely they were soldiers, a part of the 
forces of General Miles. At all events they 
were not likely to be unfriendly and with re- 
222 


SENT AWAY 


newed hope in his heart Jack sped forward. 

The trail now became less difficult. There 
were spots covered by the shifting sands, but 
he succeeded in making his way across them. 
It was impossible now for his pony to move 
faster than a walk except at rare intervals when 
the ground became firmer. 

The distant party now had become more dis- 
tinct. Jack was positive that it was approach- 
ing from the opposite direction and that soon 
he would meet the hand. Indeed, steadily the 
outlines of the approaching men became more 
distinct and he was strengthened in his opinion 
that they were cavalrymen. 

An hour later in surprise the band of white 
soldiers halted and waited for Jack to come 
near. As he approached, the young engineer 
saw that the half dozen men who had been 
prisoners in the Indian village were now in the 
midst of the soldiers. A young lieutenant was 
in command of the party which consisted of 
about fifteen men. 

Surprised by his discovery Jack pressed for- 
ward, eager to discover the meaning of it all, 
but as he drew near a fresh commotion was 
aroused by the approach of a man on horse- 
223 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


back. The rider was coming around a spur of 
the mountain which projected into the desert 
and it was plain from his movements that he 
was in great haste. 

Little was said to Jack after he had joined 
the band, the attention of all being taken up 
with the approach of the horseman in the dis- 
tance. Plainly he was a hard rider for he was 
urging forward the animal upon which he was 
mounted, even when the horse at times sank in 
the soft sand to its fetlocks. 

“It’s Simon/ ’ Jack heard one of the men 
say in a low voice to his nearest comrade. 

“It looks as if he had got something to re- 
port/ ’ responded the second soldier. 

Both however, became silent as they watched 
the approach of the horseman who in a brief 
time joined the force. 

Leaping from the back of his nearly ex- 
hausted pony the man at once approached the 
young lieutenant and saluted. 

“What have you found ?” demanded the 
young officer. 

“I have found that Geronimo and about forty 
of his braves are just beyond the mountain.” 

“Are you sure?” 


224 


SENT AWAY 


“I saw him my self/ ’ responded the scout, 
quietly. 

“Then I have nothing more to say, Simon,’ ’ 
said the young lieutenant. “If you have seen 
him that’s all the information we need.” 

Turning again to his men the young lieuten- 
ant in a low voice gave a few hurried orders 
and instantly preparations were made for what 
Jack believed to be a swift pursuit of the 
Apache chief. 

The men all looked to their equipment, care- 
fully examining buckles and straps and then 
formed, ready to follow the young lieutenant 
whenever the word should be spoken. 


CHAPTER XX 

THE CHIEF AND THE GENERAL 

J ACK was provided with his own mount and 
although he had no conception what the 
departure implied he, nevertheless, was aware 
of the excitement among the cavalrymen and 
had heard the report which the scout, whom 
the men called Simon, had just brought. 

The young officer cautioned his men not to 
ride unduly fast, as there was a long journey 
before them. Provisions for several days were 
on hand and there was slight fear that the wily 
Apaches would not be overtaken speedily. 

As the ride led along the border of the desert 
it would not be necessary to halt when the sun 
set. Jack was aware of this and although he 
had no desire to share in what promised to 
be the exciting experiences of his comrades in 
their pursuit of Geronimo, nevertheless, he 
found himself greatly aroused by the eagerness 
of the men. The crafty chief had already ac- 
complished so much more than the whites had 
226 


THE CHIEF AND THE GENERAL 


believed he would be capable of doing that there 
was unquestionably a greater respect for him 
now than when General Crook bad begun bis 
campaign which had turned out so unsatisfac- 
torily. 

The hostile Chiricahua Apaches had been 
raiding the country which comprised nearly 30,- 
000 square miles. The region between the 
Gila River on the west and the Rio Grande on 
the east, the thirty-fourth parallel on the north 
and the Mexican border on the south had been 
the scene of the dastardly deeds of Geronimo 
and his followers. This region lies entirely in 
southeastern Arizona and southwestern New 
Mexico and had been the scene of the murders 
and depredations that had been committed since 
the Chiricahuas had been on the warpath. It 
is true they had extended the area into the 
Sierra Madre mountains of northern Mexico, 
which meant an extension of the distance south- 
west about 400 miles and eastward and west- 
ward about 200 miles more. Altogether nearly 
80,000 square miles were included in the region 
over which Geronimo and his daring followers 
had fled. It is a country of rough, broken and 
bold mountain ranges with numerous spurs, oo- 
227 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


casional plains and little vegetation. Water is 
to be obtained only at a few points from springs 
and water holes, and even these are many miles 
apart. 

Each range of mountains and almost every 
spur provides splendid points of lookout over 
the plains to the farseeing and keen eyes of the 
Apache. His ability to see much farther than 
the white man had enabled him to escape many 
times when the white soldiers confidently had 
believed the red men had been securely trapped. 
He is nimble on his feet and his keenly devel- 
oped natural traits enable him to journey in 
almost any direction. This trait had also en- 
abled him to evade and escape from his pur- 
suers throughout the campaign. 

Strictly speaking the Apache was looked upon 
as a ‘ ‘ mountain / 9 or “foot” Indian. From 
his earliest childhood he had been trained to 
climb the highest mountain pass or cross the 
desert plains and accomplish very long jour- 
neys without other food than roots or berries 
and with little or no water. As has already 
been recorded, on the warpath he usually goes 
“light.” He wears little or no clothing, car- 
ries no rations and is encumbered only with his 
228 


THE CHIEF AND THE GENERAL 


gun and ammunition. Even over the roughest 
region he was able to make as much as sixty 
miles a day and stories were current that over 
the plains or less difficult trails on the moun- 
tains he was able to accomplish even a hundred 
miles. 

The Apache in early years did not use a 
horse. In later years he had trained his ponies 
until they seemed almost a part of his very life. 
Even then, however, when the warrior was 
hard pressed he frequently abandoned or killed 
his horse and fled on foot over trails that were 
apparently impassable. 

In spite of the fact that only forty-two men 
and ninety-four women among the Chiricahuas 
went on the warpath in the preceding May, 
they had been able, with the numbers that had 
joined them, to lead the forces of General 
Crook an exceedingly difficult pursuit. 

One strange part of the plans of the Apaches 
when they decided to go on the warpath, as 
sometimes they did very suddenly, wasi the 
rule that they should start in a southern direc- 
tion toward Mexico. The very suddenness of 
their decision enabled them to attack and mur- 
der such isolated persons as they met on their 
229 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


route. From the nearest ranches they supplied 
themselves with horses and plunder. 

Naturally a hasty pursuit was ordered from 
every direction as soon as the knowledge of the 
deeds of the Apaches was obtained. But it was 
almost impossible to halt the swiftly moving 
band long enough for a fight. The moment they 
were attacked they scattered in as many differ- 
ent directions as there were individuals and 
later came together again at some point which 
had been previously agreed upon, perhaps 100 
miles away. Meanwhile the trail had been lost 
and the troops of soldiers, even with the aid of 
skillful Indian trailers, who were doing their 
utmost to follow the fleeing Indians, were un- 
able to overtake them, or if they did succeed 
in running down some of them they nearly al- 
ways found that their prisoners were a few 
women and children. 

In recent years, this part of Arizona had be- 
come more thickly settled and the loss of life 
and property consequently were much less than 
during the time just before the outbreak by 
Geronimo and Natchez. In the early days, how- 
ever, few horses and cattle were to be found 
in the country, but when this attack began there 
230 


THE CHIEF AND THE GENERAL 


were large herds near almost every spring or 
waterhole and when the Indians attacked some 
lonely ranch and after murdering the people 
fled with the horses and cattle, if they were pur- 
sued the usual plan was to ride the horses until 
they dropped from exhaustion and then, aban- 
doning them, attack another ranch, there ob- 
taining fresh animals. 

Conditions were made much worse by the fact 
that many of the settlers failed to realize the 
perils that beset them. Against the warning of 
the Government they frequently traveled from 
ranch to ranch or from town to town alone, care- 
lessly and unarmed. The distance between 
these towns or ranches frequently varied from 
twenty even to one hundred miles. The pros- 
pectors presented a still more tempting attack 
than the settlers. These conditions accounted 
for the fact that an unusually large number of 
whites had been killed in the months preceding 
the present pursuit of the Apache chiefs, larger 
than in any preceding year. 

It is true that General Crooks soldiers had 
succeeded in killing eleven of the forty-two 
braves that had escaped from the agency when 
the outbreak occurred. Of those who had fled 
231 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


there were known to be thirty-one warriors and 
sixty-three squaws and children still to be 
found. All that had been taken into Mex- 
ico among the Sierra Madre mountains were 
those who were believed to be guilty of most of 
the murders of the settlers and prospectors. 

To assist in the pursuit of the wily Apache 
a force of friendly Apache scouts had been 
obtained. Just the reason why these members 
of the tribe were not loyal to Geronimo was not 
understood. 

Their very success had made the Indians still 
more confident in their ability to hold off the 
white soldiers. Captain Crawford had made a 
persistent and dogged chase of the Apache and 
finally after the Indians had become somewhat 
dispirited and worn down by the long pur- 
suit and also because they were aware of the 
character of Captain Crawford now that he was 
close upon their trail they made arrangements 
for surrendering. A meeting was arranged 
between Captain Crawford and Natchez but it 
did not occur. Early on the morning of the 
day appointed, a party of Mexican soldiers 
attacked Captain Crawford’s camp. The Mex- 
ican bandits even fired up or the captain wheii 
232 


THE CHIEF AND THE GENERAL 

he was holding a parley with the help of an in- 
terpreter named Horn. Captain Crawford fell 
mortally wounded while the interpreter was 
badly wounded in his arm. For a half hour the 
treacherous Mexican bandits continued their 
fire and at last only consented to deal with the 
officers after it had become evident that they 
could not capture the American position. As 
Captain Crawford and all his officers wore uni- 
forms it was impossible to make the white men 
believe that the Mexicans, although they were 
irregular troops, were unaware that they were 
dealing with the forces of the United States 
Army. The Mexicans declared that they had 
been following the trail of the hostile Indians 
and when they saw the Indian scouts with Cap- 
tain Crawford’s band they thought they were 
the Indians whom they were pursuing. 

The matter was referred to the Mexican Gov- 
ernment and many letters on the subject passed 
between Washington and Mexico City. The 
Mexican bandits denied every statement made 
by the American officer and even declared that 
they were the attacked and not the attacking 
party. They even claimed that all the depreda- 
tions in Mexico were committed by Crawford’s 
233 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


scouts and not by Geronimo and bis men. It is 
also reported that the Mexican Government 
even demanded an indemnity for cattle stolen 
or killed, and fences burned and broken by 
Crawford’s soldiers. 

Meanwhile Geronimo and his band, short of 
provisions, wearied and dispirited by the per- 
sistent pursuit, at last agreed to meet General 
Crook near the boundary line in “ about two 
moons.” More than seventy days, however, 
elapsed before Geronimo appeared at the ap- 
pointed place. 

Finally, at El Canon in Mexico, twenty-five 
miles south of the American border, General 
Crook and the fiery, treacherous, little Indian 
had their meeting. It had been agreed that 
General Crook should not be accompanied by 
any of his troopers. The Indians were en- 
camped on a rocky hill in a strong and almost 
inaccessible position. They were armed with 
the best guns and ammunition and had obtained 
a large supply of blankets and other necessary 
articles in Mexico. Their fierceness and inde- 
pendence made them doubly dangerous. 

General Crook demanded their unconditional 
234 


THE CHIEF AND THE GENERAL 


surrender. However, the only propositions to 
which Geronimo would listen were three: 

1. That they should be sent East for not ex- 
ceeding two years, taking with them such of 
their families as they desired. 

2. That they should all return to the Reser- 
vation on the old status. 

3. That they should be permitted to go on 
the warpath with all its attending horrors. 

General Crook, who was obliged to decide 
quickly, accepted their surrender on the first 
proposition, and the entire party started for 
Fort Bowie. 

As soon, however, as word was received in 
Washington, the President declared that their 
imprisonment in the east for two years and 
their return to the Reservation could not be ap- 
proved. Certain instructions were sent out, but 
before General Crook received the dispatch con- 
taining them both Geronimo and Natchez, to- 
gether with twenty braves and thirteen squaws, 
escaped from the camp and fled to the moun- 
tains. 

The remainder of the Apache band were sent 
to Fort Marion in Florida, many of the chil- 
235 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


dren, however, being sent to the Indian school 
at Carlisle. 

Lieutenant Mans, who had succeeded Captain 
Crawford, after the death of that officer, quickly 
followed Geronimo’s trail, until he became satis- 
fied that further pursuit at that time was use- 
less. The escape of Geronimo and his follow- 
ers was attended by the usual sad results. All 
the way to the Sierra Madre mountains in 
Mexico the route followed by the Indians was 
marked by treacheries similar to those which 
had usually attended their course. 

General Crook now became convinced that the 
Apache scouts whom he had organized and care- 
fully trained could not be fully depended upon 
to fight against their own people. They were 
willing to assist in the capture and even to try 
to induce them to surrender, but when the point 
of making war against their own tribe was 
raised they drew back. The general did not lose 
his confidence in their ability in the task of trail- 
ing or even of capturing the Apaches, but he 
felt keenly embarrassed by the situation and 
asked to be relieved from his command. 

His request was granted, and at the retire- 
ment of General Pope, General Crook w^as as- 
236 


THE CHIEF AND THE GENERAL 


signed to tlie Department of the Platte, and 
General Miles, as we know, took his place in 
the Department of Arizona on the 27th of April. 
The instructions which General Miles received 
upon assuming his command were in accord- 
ance with the directions of the President and 
were communicated to him by the Adjutant- 
General. They were as follows : 

“He directs that the greatest care be taken 
to prevent the spread of hostilities among the 
friendly Indians in your command, and that 
the most vigorous operations looking to the 
destruction or capture of the hostiles be cease- 
lessly carried on. He does not wish to embar- 
rass you by undertaking at this distance to give 
specific instructions in relation to operations 
against the hostiles, but it is deemed advisable 
to suggest the necessity of making active and 
prominent use of the regular troops of your 
command.” 

General Miles began his campaign with great 
zeal and energy, and it was in the midst of his 
activities that the stirring scene which pre- 
ceded and follows this chapter took place. 


CHAPTER XXI 

AT THE MASON RANCH 

R ELIEVED as Alfred was by his discovery 
that his pursuer was not an enemy, he 
glanced keenly into the face of the young In- 
dian. Why Henry should be friendly to him 
and not join with the other warriors of his tribe 
in the attack upon the whites he did not under- 
stand. 

There was no opportunity, however, for ex- 
planation and the lad somehow felt inclined to 
trust the word of the young Apache. 

“You are to come with me,” said Henry. 
“Where?” 

“I shall lead you where you will be safe.” 
“Am I not safe here? I am a good way from 
the spot where I was attacked . 9 7 

“You are never far from the Apaches. 
You cannot tell any time when a rock may rise 
and show that it is a brave and not a stone. 
A shot may be fired at you when you think you 
are all alone on the desert. You may be hit by 
238 


AT THE MASON RANCH 


an arrow when yon think there is no one within 
miles. I know. I have seen my people. I 
understand what they do.” 

Convinced as Alfred was that his companion 
spoke truly, he glanced apprehensively about 
him, but was unable to discover any appearance 
of his foes. 

4 ‘Where are you going to take me?” repeated 
Alfred. 

“I have told you.” 

“I do not understand. You have told me to 
follow you, but you have not told me where 
you are going.” 

A scowl appeared for a moment upon the 
countenance of the young Apache, but he said, 
“I shall help you. You must trust me.” 

“I will trust you,” said Alfred impetuously. 
“I’ll follow you wherever you say.” 

“Is your rifle ready?” 

“I think so. I have dried it out and scoured 
it, but I have not fired it yet. Do you think I 
had better try it?” 

“No. No,” said Henry hastily. “If you 
have scoured it and dried it, it must be ready 
for you to use. You come with me.” 

Alfred was wearied by his flight, but he of- 
239 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


fered no further objections. At tbe word of bis 
companion be turned and followed as tbe young 
Apacbe led tbe way down tbe side of tbe moun- 
tain. Tbe excited boy was still glancing appre- 
hensively about him. All tbe stories Zach and 
Wheat bad told concerning tbe ability of tbe 
Apaches to disguise themselves or bide even in 
tbe sands of tbe desert were still fresh in bis 
mind. He looked keenly at tbe rocks as be de- 
scended, but not one of them appeared to be tbe 
biding place of an enemy. Henry was walking 
steadily, though not at a rapid pace, and Alfred 
was able easily to keep pace with him. Not a 
word was spoken as they made their way 
toward tbe desert below them, for it was plain 
by this time that Henry was seeking the plains. 
Somehow Alfred was convinced that tbe young 
warrior was planning to conduct him to some 
place of safety, but where or in which direction? 
be could not conjecture. 

He was eager to inquire concerning tbe fate 
of Zacb and Wheat, whom be left behind him. 
One of them be was convinced was dead and 
tbe other wounded. What tbe fate of Zacb 
would be if tbe Indians carried him as a cap- 
240 


AT THE MASON EANCH 

tive back to their village he thought he under- 
stood. 

Meanwhile the steady pace at which Henry 
was running began to tell upon the tired white 
boy. He was too proud, however, to acknowl- 
edge his weakness, and though his face was 
streaming with perspiration and he was breath- 
ing with difficulty he still maintained his place 
close behind the running Apache. 

After the lapse of an hour Henry looked be- 
hind him, and aware of the condition of his 
companion said somewhat contemptuously , 4 ‘ Do 
you want to stop?” 

“Yes, I do,” said Alfred. “I’m not used to 
this the way you are. Give me a little rest and 
I’ll be all right.” 

Henry smiled as he halted, and handing to 
Alfred a small piece of the root of a cactus plant’ 
told him to chew it and he would find relief. 

The root, however, was so distasteful to Al- 
fred that it was difficult for him to retain it in 
his mouth. However, as he did not wish to 
incur the further contempt of his guide, he re- 
tained it, doing his utmost to conceal the repul- 
sion he felt. 


241 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


After a brief rest Henry said, “It’s time for 
us to go on.” 

“Pm ready,” answered Alfred sturdily. 
“Do you know now where you are going?” 

“I do.” 

“Then that is all I want,” said Alfred as he 
arose and resumed the steady pace at which he 
had followed the tireless young Indian. 

After the lapse of another hour Henry again 
halted and permitted Alfred to rest. The boy 
was looking in amazement at the Apache. Not 
a sign of weariness did he see. Even on the 
face of Henry there did not appear any trace 
of moisture and his breathing was as smooth 
and easy as if he had not been making any 
special exertion. I 

The flight soon was resumed and late in the 
afternoon it became evident to Alfred that they 
must be approaching some place for which 
Henry had been looking. The young Indian 
stopped, and holding his hand to his forehead 
stooped forward and peered intently before 
him. Apparently satisfied, he turned again to 
Alfred and said, “We must go on.” 

“How much farther?” 

242 


AT THE MASON RANCH 


Henry smiled as lie said , 1 i Two hours maybe. 
Maybe not so much.” 

“Do you know now where you are going?” 

“I have known all the time.” 

“And yet you didn’t tell me.” 

“You shall see when we get there.” 

The flight was resumed and Alfred was able 
to settle into the steady pace of his guide. In 
spite of the lack of food and water somehow 
fresh courage and new strength returned to 
him. As he himself expressed it he had found 
his “second wind.” 

Two more halts were made and night was 
approaching when Henry suddenly stopped and 
again peered keenly before him. It was evident 
to Alfred that he had discovered something of 
intense interest. Several minutes elapsed be- 
fore he changed his position, and then turning 
again to the boy he said, “I’m afraid.” 

“What are you afraid of?” demanded Alfred 
quickly. 

“I’m not frightened,” explained Henry, “but 
I’m afraid I am too late.” 

“Too late for what?” 

“I was going to take you to a ranch where 
you would be safe. You would be looked after 
243 


THE APACHE CHIEF 

and get help there for a while. I think the 
house has been burned. It’s burning now. I 
can see the smoke.” 

r< Where is it!” demanded Alfred excitedly. 

n It’s yonder. It’s over there,” explained 
Henry, pointing toward the desert. “The peo- 
ple who lived there have been good friends to 
me. I do not want to see them suffer. They 
have been very careless. They have not done as 
I have told them. They did not try to protect 
themselves and did not believe the Apaches 
would harm them. Now they know.” 

“Do you think the Indians burned the 
house?” 

“Yes.” 

“What’s happened to the people?” 

“They are dead or captured,” answered 
Henry calmly. 

Alfred could not repress the shudder that 
crept over him at the apparently heartless 
words of the young Apache. For a moment he 
was silent before he inquired, “What shall we 
do now?” 

“We must go to the ranch.” 

Without another word Henry at once started 
across the sands. It was more difficult now for 
244 


AT THE MASON RANCH 


Alfred to follow. There were places in which 
the sand was packed and it was not hard 
to move across its surface. In others, however, 
it was soft and yielding and made progress ex- 
tremely difficult and at times to the wearied boy 
it seemed almost impossible. However, they 
continued on their way, with Henry frequently 
halting and peering keenly before him. 

He did not reply to the questions of Alfred 
concerning what he saw, but as each time he 
resumed his journey Alfred followed obediently 
until at last he, too, was able to discern the 
smoke in the distance. 

They had proceeded steadily on their way for 
another half-hour when the young Indian again 
halted and uttered a low exclamation. 

Startled by the unexpected sound Alfred 
glanced first at the face of the Indian and then 
peered before him as he saw that Henry’s gaze 
was fixed upon some object in the distance be- 
fore them. 

While Alfred was looking, suddenly he saw 
an object rise from the sands far in front of 
him and after standing erect for a moment it 
dropped once more out of sight. 

“ What’s that!” he demanded in a low voice. 
245 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


“It’s a man.” 

“Why doesn’t he come on and meet us!” 

“I do not know,” answered Henry. “It 
may be that he has been shot. He may have 
been struck by a hatchet. I do not know. We 
shall soon find out.” 

Unconsciously quickening the pace at which 
he was moving Henry once more led the way 
and Alfred did his utmost to keep up with his 
companion. He was horrified by the sugges- 
tion which the young Apache had made in such 
an apparently cold-blooded manner. He was 
fearful, too, that if Indians had attacked the 
house on the ranch they might also be nearby 
and might also attack him and his companion. 

However, he did not refer to any of his fears, 
and after they had toiled through the desert for 
twenty minutes he saw more distinctly the ob- 
ject which had aroused the interest of Henry. 
It was a man who now was seated upon the 
sands. 

Eagerly Alfred followed Henry, whose speed 
again increased. Within a few minutes they 
arrived at the place they were seeking and dis- 
covered a white man seated on the sand. His 
plight, however, was pitiful. His face was 
246 


AT THE MASON BANCH 


streaked with blood and the wild expression in 
his eyes as he became aware of the approach 
of the white boy and the Indian showed plainly 
the suffering through which he must have 
passed. There was a gash in his face and a 
bruise upon his head and one arm evidently 
was useless. 

“ It ’s Hike, ’ 9 said Henry in a low voice. ‘ 1 He 
was one of the men at the ranch.” 

“Was it his ranch?” inquired Alfred in a low 
voice. 

“No, he worked there. I do not know if he 
can answer my questions. What has become of 
the Mason man?” he inquired, turning to the 
stranger. 

Hike stared stupidly into the face of the ques- 
tioner for a moment and then said grimly, 
“He’s dead.” 

“What happened to him?” asked Alfred. 

“He was shot by the Apaches. Murdered, 
that’s what he was,” he added grimly. “He 
never did any harm to any one. ’ ’ 

“Tell me,” asked Alfred hastily, “what hap- 
pened to the rest of his family?” 

“All dead. No, they took two children away. 
Everybody else was killed. They set fire to the 
247 


THE APACHE CHIEF 

cabin and threw into it the bodies of the two 
little boys.” 

“How did you get away?” 

“They thought I was dead, too. They struck 
me with a tomahawk, and shot me with arrows 
and tried to fill me full of lead. I didn’t know 
but I was dead, too, but I find I’m not as dead 
as I thought I was. Have you got any water?” 

The agonized expression in the face of the 
wounded man had its own effect, but Alfred was 
unable to provide what he wanted. “What can 
we do to help this man?” he inquired of Henry. 

“We must get him back to the ranch.” 

“But there isn’t anything there except 
ashes,” said Alfred. 

“There is a springhole. I shall find water. 
We must help this man.” 

At the direction of the young Indian he and 
Alfred formed a “chair” with their hands, upon 
which Hike seated himself, and then they 
started toward the smoke which still was plain- 
ly visible. 

Frequent halts were required for rest, but 
Alfred was positive that the distance they must 
cover was less than he had at first thought. At 
last they arrived at the place they were seek- 
248 


AT THE MASON RANCH 


ing and for a moment the lad was almost over- 
come by the gruesome sight upon which he 
looked. The dead bodies of the children and, 
also, of Mr. and Mrs. Mason were indicative of 
the attack which had been described by Hike. 
Evidently the little hut which had served them 
as a home had been plundered of most of its 
possessions. 

Henry, however, who was less moved than 
Alfred by the sight of the dead, discovered a 
tin bucket with which he at once started toward 
.the spring, which was located less than fifty 
feet away. Returning with his pail well filled 
he first gave Hike a small quantity of water 
and permitted Alfred also to drink a few swal- 
lows. He then prepared to bathe the face and 
head of the wounded man. There was no neces- 
ity of shelter from the sun, for night was at 
hand. The sun already had disappeared from 
sight and the air was becoming cooler. 

Although the light was somewhat dim the 
excitement in Alfred’s heart was speedily 
aroused once more when the young Apache 
abruptly arose and pointed toward the desert 


CHAPTER XXII 

THE RETURN TO THE TRAIL 


H ENRY was pointing toward the west, but 
Alfred when he looked in the direction 
indicated was unable to discover the object 
which had aroused his companion’s interest. 
The sun, as has been said, had disappeared from 
sight behind the mountains, but there was still 
a dim light. Apparently the young Apache was 
able even in the light to ascertain the object 
which was interesting him, for in a moment he 
turned to Alfred and said in a low voice, ‘ 4 Sol- 
diers coming.” 

“What?” 

Henry did not repeat his remark, although he 
did not turn away his gaze from the distant 
object. Whether or not he was fearful of the 
arrival of the cavalrymen Alfred was unable to 
determine. At one time, however, he was al- 
most convinced that the Apache was about to 
flee from the place. 

However, as Henry still remained and ap- 

250 


THE RETURN TO THE TRAIL 


parently his alarm had gone, they both watched 
and waited for the coming of the white soldiers. 

In a brief time Alfred was able to see the 
band riding over the desert. There were eight 
or ten men at least in the little force and the 
steady gait which their horses maintained clear- 
ly indicated that they were familiar with the 
desert. 

When a half hour later the little force drew 
near the still smoking ruins of the house of the 
Masons, Alfred was startled when he thought 
he discovered his brother in the band. 

“That’s Jack! That’s Jack,” he exclaimed in 
a low voice, almost unaware that he was speak- 
ing aloud. 

“Yes,” answered Henry. “It’s your 
brother.” 

“What is he doing there? How did he come 
to be with the soldiers?” 

“He was a prisoner of the Apaches. They 
took him to a village. I helped him. He was 
set free. He went with the soldiers.” 

“With these soldiers?” 

“I think so. We shall soon know.” 

Silence followed the brief conversation while 
both Alfred and Henry waited for the coming 
251 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


of the band which now was not far away. Al- 
fred was convinced that it was indeed his 
brother Jack whom he saw at the left of the 
band. 

Soon the troopers arrived and the leader, 
whom Alfred saw was a captain, leaped from 
the back of his horse and slipping his arm 
through the bridle approached the place where 
the boys were standing. 

‘ ‘ What is the meaning of this ? ” he demanded. 

“It means/ ’ answered Alfred, “that the 
Apaches have been here and burned this ranch- 
house and have murdered the people who dwelt 
here, except two little girls whom they have 
taken away with them.” 

“What was the man’s name?” 

“Mason. The Indians threw his body and 
his wife’s into the fire. We managed to get 
them out and they are over there behind that 
bush,” he explained, pointing as he spoke to 
the rear of the spot on which the little house 
had stood. 

“What is this young Indian doing here?” 
demanded the captain sharply as he glanced at 
Henry. 

“He is a young Apache and came with me.” 

252 


THE EE TURN TO THE TRAIL 


“ After the fire?” 

“ Yes. I didn’t know anything about the fire. 
He saw it before I did and brought me here. 
He was expecting to leave me with Mr. and 
Mrs. Mason.” 

“ And then go back to Geronimo?” 

“I suppose so.” 

“ I don’t trust him. I don’t trust any of 
them. I’ve seen enough of their murderous 
tricks to make me believe that there isn’t one 
of them that wouldn’t stick a knife into you if 
he had a chance.” 

“I think he isn’t as bad as some of them,” 
explained Alfred, trying to put in a good word 
for the young Indian who had been so helpful 
to him. 

“ Where did you come from?” demanded the 
captain abruptly. 

“My brother, who is here with you,” ex- 
plained Alfred as he glanced at Jack, who now 
was approaching the place where he was stand- 
ing, “is an engineer. He has been here two 
years. He wanted me to come out this summer 
and spend my vacation. So I did. We had a 
camp over on the side of the mountain and a 
few days ago the Indians drove us out of it. 
253 


THE APACHE CHIEF 

I didn’t know what happened to my brother, 
though he will probably explain to you now. 
For myself, I was chased by the Apaches after 
they had attacked the old man who was in 
charge of our camp. There was another man 
with him named Wheat. I think he’s dead. I 
couldn’t wait to find out because the Indians 
fired upon us and both the white men fell. I 
started to run. This Indian, whose white name 
is Henry Kendall, caught up with me and 
brought me here.” 

“Is that all you know about him?” 

“I saw him in our camp two or three days.” 

“Let me talk to him,” said the captain 
abruptly, as he turned to the young Indian. 

Meanwhile Jack had greeted his brother 
warmly and each related to the other the story 
of his adventures since they last had met. 

Surprised as Alfred was by the unexpected 
appearance of Jack, he was, nevertheless, deep- 
ly interested in the story of the stirring events 
which had occurred since his departure from 
the camp on the mountain side. 

They were still talking together when the cap*, 
tain once more turned to them and said, “][ 
think we ’ll feed up before we leave. I will havtf 
254 


THE RETURN TO THE TRAIL 


some of the men bury the bodies of these poor 
people and we’ll be ready to leave in a little 
while. ’ ’ 

The promise of food was so tempting to Al- 
fred, who for a long time had not had anything 
to eat that he eagerly joined in the preparation 
of the hasty repast. Never before had broiled, 
bacon tasted as did this which he ate on the 
desert of Arizona. Indeed, Jack had to caution 
him against the peril of overeating, before he 
declared himself satisfied. 

The captain once more came to the place 
where the brothers were sitting and said, 
“ According to the story of this young redskin, 
he really is one of our scouts. I don’t know 
whether I can believe him or not, but I think 
I shall have to take my chances. I must keep 
an eye on him all the time, but probably what 
he tells me is true. Now,” he added, “I want 
you to tell me more about this attack which 
was made upon you and these two white men. 
,How many Indians were in the band?” 

“I don’t know,” answered Alfred. “I was 
in such a hurry to get away that I didn’t stop 
to examine everything.” 

255 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


“Then you don’t know whether there were 
three or thirty.” 

“I think there were more than three and less 
than thirty.” 

“Can you lead us to the place?” 

“I don’t think I can, hut Henry can do it, 
for he brought me here.” 

“I think our best plan will be to go straight 
back to that place and then pick up the trail if 
we can. I have good horses for you and this 
young Indian, and just as soon as you are ready 
; we’ll start. This poor chap who has been so 
used up by the Apaches we’ll have to do the 
best we can for. If he can stay on the back of a 
horse until we pick up the trail I think we can 
do something for him. ’ ’ 

Alfred turned and looked at Hike, who now 
was seated upon the sands. His wounds had 
been dressed by one of the soldiers and now 
that his face had been bathed and he had re- 
ceived his share of food he appeared to be in 
much better condition than when he had first 
been found by the boys. 

Evidently there was no other plan which 
could be thought of for him and he readily 
agreed to the suggestion of the captain. 

256 


THE BETURN TO THE TRAIL 


In a brief time the men once more mounted 
their horses and at the word of the leader 
started from the place which now showed few 
evidences of the tragic experiences through 
which the people who had dwelt there had 
passed. 

The bodies had been buried, and though the 
smoke was still rising from the ruins the fires 
had died away. The bleakness of the region 
seemed to impart an additional aspect of sad- 
ness to the scene. Frequently Alfred, who was 
riding beside his brother, looked back as they 
advanced, at the sight until at last it no longer 
could be seen. 

Wearied as Alfred was by the trying experi- 
ences through which he had passed he was 
greatly refreshed by the food and drink he had 
received and was easily able to keep his seat 
and maintain the pace at which the men were 
riding. 

Frequently he glanced at the face of the 
leader. Evidently the captain was a deter- 
mined man. His intelligence was manifest in 
the keen glance of his eyes and the power of 
his body was evident in every motion. He was 
not one to give up a chase readily, Alfred grim- 
257 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


ly concluded, after he had watched the man in 
his ride across the desert. 

At last the party arrived at the base of the 
mountain. Henry Kendall now moved in ad- 
vance and close behind him followed the cap- 
tain himself. The way was more difficult and 
the progress naturally became slower. 

At last when they arrived at the spot where 
the trail led up the side of the mountain the 
captain again halted, explaining that he was 
giving the horses a rest. That this was not his 
sole motive in halting became evident when he 
at once withdrew Henry Kendall from the com- 
pany and engaged in a low and earnest con- 
versation. 

Apparently satisfied with the results of his 
questions the captain left the young Indian and 
once more prepared to depart. 

Before the party started, however, Alfred 
was surprised when Henry Kendall came to 
him and in a low voice said, “I have something 
I wish you to keep for me.” 

“What is it?” inquired Alfred. 

“It's this,” answered the Indian as he thrust 
a stone into the hand of Alfred. 

The boy glanced down at the object and 
258 


THE EE TURN TO THE TRAIL 


was startled when he saw that it was the Great 
Medicine Stone. How it had come into the 
possession of the Indian he did not know. 
Henry had not referred to it throughout their 
journey and what his object was in entrusting it 
to him now was not clear. 

“ What do you give this to me for?” inquired 
Alfred. 

“ I wish you to keep it. I do not say that I 
give it to you.” 

“You just want me to carry it in my pocket 
for you?” 

“You keep it. I shall tell you when I want 
it again. If I do not ask for it, it is yours and 
not mine.” 

“But,” protested Alfred lightly, “I under- 
stand that this Great Medicine Stone brings 
bad luck.” 

“You shall see.” 

“But I don’t want to ‘see,’ if it’s bad luck.” 

“You shall look into it,” said Henry ear- 
nestly, “and you shall see what will come to 
you. It does not fail. It will show you what 
is waiting for you.” 

“I don’t know that I want to know that,” an- 
swered Alfred. 


259 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


The conversation, however, was interrupted 
by the call of the captain. The men at once 
dismounted and began the toilsome climb of 
the mountain. 

It was much more difficult to ascend, Alfred 
discovered after a few minutes had elapsed. 
The horses had difficulty in gaining a foothold 
and soon were displaying the effects of their 
efforts. The party, however, proceeded stead- 
ily and after the lapse of several hours, just be- 
fore the rising of the sun Henry explained that 
they had arrived at the place where the unex- 
pected attack had occurred. 

A hasty search revealed the dead body of 
Wheat. He had been wounded with arrows and 
also by a rifleball. It was evident that he had 
died soon after the attack was made. There 
were, however, no traces of Zach. A search in 
every direction was made but the attempt to 
find him was abandoned when it was discovered 
that he was gone. How badly he had been 
wounded was impossible to discover, but the 
fact that he had escaped from the place was suf- 
ficient evidence to show that he still retained 
a good measure of strength. 

Meanwhile three of the Indian scouts who 

260 


THE RETURN TO THE TRAIL 


had accompanied the band now returned to the 
place and held a whispered conversation with 
the captain. It was evident from the expres- 
sion on the captain ’s face that he was excited 
by the reports they brought him. 

As soon as he explained to his followers the 
reports which the scouts had brought they too 
were as keenly aroused as he. 


CHAPTER XXIII 

THE COMING OF GENERAL MILES 

B EHIND all this activity was the deter- 
mined word and personality of General 
Nelson A. Miles, who, at that time, was a Briga- 
dier General in the United States Army. His 
vigorous mind, his determination, the character 
stamped upon his strong face and his experi- 
ence and ability combined to make him the one 
man in the nation who could put an end to the 
dastardly activities of the Apaches. 

As has been said, General Crook had become 
somewhat discouraged. The failure at Wash- 
ington to back up his demands, as he believed, 
and, also, the persistent activities of the little 
band which Geronimo and Natchez commanded, 
for they had led his troops a long and weari- 
some chase and even after they had agreed to 
surrender slipped away again and renewed the 
trouble, had discouraged him. When General 
Miles was selected for this task every one be- 
lieved that the work would be done and the 
262 


THE COMING OF GENERAL MILES 

Apache would be prevented from any further 
marauding. 

General Miles, however, was not unaware of 
the nature of the task which confronted him. 
Already he had had experience in dealing with 
the Indian problem. He had led successful 
campaigns in the Indian country and on the 
plains. He had subdued the insurrection of the 
Sioux Indians and had succeeeded in captur- 
ing Chief J oseph, which was no small task. 

Familiar with Indian life and ways and fully 
aware of the problems that confronted him 
when, as a last resort, he was sent down into 
Arizona to quell the insurrection of Geronimo 
and Natchez, it was almost as if the final word 
had been spoken. i 

General Nelson Appleton Miles was almost 
what might be called a born soldier. Born in 
the town of Westminster, Massachusetts, he 
was like many a country boy in his day who re- 
tained the best of the rural life and later had 
also what the cities could give. It was a splen- 
did foundation. It made him strong in body, 
vigorous in action, and opened his mind to 
some of the experiences which the boy who has 
spent his entire life in the city can never know. 

263 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


Like many a country boy the traditions as 
well as the blood of the Pilgrim Fathers were 
in his veins and the ideals which he received 
from this careful and continued training helped 
greatly to start his life aright. 

When he was not much more than a boy he 
left home and went to Boston where he secured 
a business position. Already his interest, stim- 
ulated by the stories of the days of the Revolu- 
tion and the deeds of his ancestors had aroused 
within him a strong desire to study and share 
in the military experiences of his country. He 
joined a militia company and faithfully went 
through the drudgery of the drill, seldom miss- 
ing a meeting and all the time finding that his 
interest was being steadily increased. 

Then came the outbreak of the great Civil 
War and the call by President Lincoln for 
troops to put down the rebellion and young 
Miles was one of those who made an early re- 
sponse. As was customary in those days he 
succeeded in organizing a company, spending 
nearly all the money which he himself had and 
being helped by others to complete the equip- 
ment. 

Then he was elected captain by his fellow re- 
264 


THE COMING OF GENERAL MILES 

cruits. Tins usually was equivalent to a com- 
mission, because the governor of the state as a 
rule issued commissions to men who had been 
selected as officers by their own companies. 
However, even in that day the political influ- 
ence was not lacking. Through the demands of 
a professional politician the captaincy was 
given to another by the governor and Miles was 
made a first lieutenant. His proud spirit was 
stung and naturally he was aroused over the 
outrageous appointment. He was better 
equipped and trained by study and drill for the 
position than the civilian who received the ap- 
pointment, but he did not, like Achilles, another 
great warrior, sulk in his tent. Perhaps the 
governor never knew how intensely young Lieu- 
tenant Miles felt about the slight which had 
been given, but that which cannot be cured must 
be endured. Accordingly young Miles began 
his services as first lieutenant and did his best 
steadily throughout the struggle. 

From being first lieutenant in the 22nd 
Massachusetts Infantry in 1861 he had risen to 
be a lieutenant colonel in the 61st New York 
Infantry within eight months. Six months later 
he was colonel. In 1864 he was brigadier gen- 
265 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


eral of volunteers. The following year he was 
a major general of volunteers. At the close 
of the war he became a colonel in the 40th U. S. 
Infantry. For the dream of his boyhood of be- 
coming a soldier was now being fulfilled and he 
had decided to remain in the Army. At that 
time he was twenty-seven years old. He had 
risen to be a brigadier general, U. S. A., in 
1880, and although the dates are later than 
the time of this story it is interesting to know 
that in 1890 he was a major general of the 
U. S. A. 

In the Civil War he was in many of the bat- 
tles and it is good to learn that his country had 
been more appreciative of his gallant deeds 
than the political governor of his state had been 
of the promise of the young soldier. 

“For highly meritorious and distinguished 
conduct throughout the campaign and particu- 
larly for gallantry and valuable services at the 
battle of Kearns Sta., Va.,” he received a com- 
mission as brigadier general. For similar gal- 
lantry at Spottsylvania he was made a major 
general and some time later the Congressional 
medal of honor was bestowed upon him for dis- 
266 


THE COMING OF GENEBAL MILES 


tinguished gallantry at Chancellorsville, in 
which battle he was severely wounded. 

He was only twenty-five years of age when he 
was in command of an army corps. His cam- 
paigns against Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, Chief 
J oseph and other leading Indians had prepared 
him for dealing with Geronimo and Natchez. 

Of the former, General Miles once said that 
he had the sharpest, brightest, little eyes and 
the most determined face he had ever seen in a 
human being. 

His mettle also had been shown when he was 
in command of the U. S. troops at Chicago 
which President Grover Cleveland had sent 
there to quell the riotous railroad strikes in 
1884. It is doubtful whether any honors that 
later came to the great soldier brought more 
joy to his heart than his success in these early 
campaigns. In the Turco-Grecian War he rep- 
resented the United States Army and also was 
our representative at the Diamond Jubilee, in 
1897, of Queen Victoria. 

He retired in 1903 but his influence, interest 
and Lelp continue until this day. 

It was sucih a man who was sent to conduct 
the campaign against Geronimo and Natchez. 

267 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


As soon as he arrived at Fort Bowie, Ari- 
zona, he assumed the command of the Depart- 
ment and immediately made a tour of inspec- 
tion among the different military garrisons and 
camps in the field. It will be interesting to 
know just what his plan was and therefore the 
following general order issued by General Miles 
is given just as he sent it out on the 20th of 
April, 1886 

“ Headquarters, Department of Arizona, 

In the field, Fort Bowie, A. T., 

April 20, 1886. 

General Field Orders, No. 7. 

The following instructions are issued for the 
information and guidance of troops serving in 
the southern portions of Arizona and New 
Mexico. 

The chief object of the troops will be to cap- 
ture or destroy any band of hostile Apache 
Indians found in this section of the country and 
to this end the most vigorous and persistent 
efforts will be required of all officers and sol- 
diers until the object is accomplished. 

To better facilitate this duty and afford as 
far as practicable protection to the scattered 
settlements, the territory is subdivided into dis- 
268 


THE COMING OF GENEKAL MILES 

tricts of observation as shown npon maps fur- 
nished by the department engineer officer, and 
these will be placed under commanding officers 
to be hereafter designated. 

Each command will have a sufficient number 
of troops and the necessary transportation to 
thoroughly examine the district of country to 
which it is assigned, and will be expected to 
keep such section clear of hostile Indians. 

The signal detachments will be placed upon 
the highest peaks and prominent lookouts to 
discover any movements of Indians and to 
transmit messages between the different camps. 

The infantry will be used in hunting through 
the groups and ranges of mountains, the resorts 
of the Indians, occupying the important passes 
in the mountains, guarding supplies, etc. 

A sufficient number of reliable Indians will 
be used as auxiliaries to discover any signs of 
hostile Indians, and as trailers. 

The cavalry will be used in light scouting par- 
ties, with a sufficient force held in readiness at 
all times to make the most persistent and ef- 
fective pursuit. 

To avoid any advantage the Indians may have 
by a relay of horses, where a troop or squad- 
269 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


ron commander is near the hostile Indians he 
will be justified in dismounting one half of his 
command and selecting the lightest and best rid- 
ers to make pursuit by the most vigorous 
forced marches until the strength of all the 
animals of his command shall have been ex- 
hausted. 

In this way a command should, under a ju- 
dicious leader, capture a band of Indians or 
drive them from one hundred and fifty to two 
hundred miles in forty-eight hours through a 
country favorable for cavalry movements ; and 
the horses of the troops will be trained for this 
purpose. 

All the commanding officers will make them- 
selves thoroughly familiar with the sections of 
country under their charge and will use every 
means to give timely information regarding the 
movements of hostile Indians to their superiors 
or others acting in concert with them, in order 
that fresh troops may intercept the hostiles or 
take up the pursuit. 

Commanding officers are expected to continue 
a pursuit until capture or until they are as- 
sured a fresh command is on the trail. 

All camps and movements of troops will be 

270 


THE COMING OF GENERAL MILES 


concealed as far as possible and every effort 
will be made at all times by the troops to dis- 
cover hostile Indians before being seen by them. 

To avoid ammunition getting into the hands 
of hostile Indians every cartridge will be rig- 
idly accounted for, and when they are used in 
the field the empty shells will be effectually 
destroyed. 

Friendly relations will be encouraged be- 
tween the troops and citizens of the country, 
and all facilities rendered for the prompt inter- 
change of reliable information regarding the 
movements of hostile Indians. 

Field reports will be made on the tenth, twen- 
tieth and thirtieth of each month, giving the 
exact location of troops and the strength and 
condition of commands. 

By command of Brigadier General Miles, 
William A. Thompson, Captain Fourth 
Cavalry, A. A. A. G.” 

Discovering that the operation of the hos- 
tile Indians covered a very extensive field and 
that they were roaming over the country from 
the northern part of Arizona for two hundred 
miles south of the Mexican border, he decided 
271 


THE APACHE CHIEF 

that a system of heliostatic communications 
was the best plan of dealing with such widely 
scattered enemies, against whom he would be 
compelled to send many divided forces. 

As soon as he had completed these arrange- 
ments he looked about him for a man to take 
command of the pursuit of the Indians if they 
fled south of the Mexican border. 

General Miles discovered the ideal man for 
such a command in Captain H. W. Lawton of 
the Fourth Cavalry, who already as a young offi- 
cer had been a distinguished soldier in the Civil 
War and had served with marked success in 
the Indian campaigns on the frontiers in Texas 
and Arizona and New Mexico. He was a gradu- 
ate of West Point and a giant in size and of 
marvelous energy and great powers of endur- 
ance. Later he became distinguished in Cuba 
and also in the Philippines, where he became a 
major general. He was an ideal leader of a 
body of men, active, ambitious and filled with 
zeal. It is a sorrow to record that General 
Lawton was killed in the Philippine Islands. 

Selecting for his command one hundred of 
the strongest and best soldiers that he could 
find, every one an excellent rifleman, and then 
272 


THE COMING OF GENERAL MILES 


securing scouts, guides and friendly Indian 
trailers, General Miles carefully mapped out 
his campaign and the pursuit of the wily 
Apache began. 


CHAPTER. XXIV 

CONCLUSION 

W ITH the driving power of such a man as 
has been described in the preceding 
chapter, the campaign against Geronimo and 
his desperate and deluded followers began in 
earnest. The Indians as has been revealed in 
this story had already disclosed their location 
by the raids they had made from Mexico into 
Arizona. The force with which Jack and Al- 
fred were associated now became a part of the 
organized plan to follow Geronimo and Natchez 
until they should be driven to surrender. 

As we know, this task was complicated by the 
fact that although the Indians might be defeated 
in every encounter, they made good their es- 
cape. But they now were followed by men who 
were experienced and who knew no such word 
as failure. 

Indeed three bodies of troops led by young 
lieutenants made one march of twenty-four 
274 


CONCLUSION 


hours without camping and another of eighteen 
hours without having any water. 

As the Indians scattered and fled after every 
fight they had hoped to divide and scatter their 
pursuers. Their efforts now, however, proved 
unavailing. 

Day followed day and the weeks ran into 
months and still the pursuit continued. Often 
the desperate Apaches abandoned their horses 
and on foot crossed mountains, leaping from 
rock to rock in their wild flight. The sharp 
Indian scouts, however, whom Captain Lawton 
had brought to follow the trail were keen-eyed 
and quickly were able to trace the Apaches in 
the direction they followed. 

Naturally the Apaches began to feel discour- 
aged. They were wearied by the ceaseless pur- 
suit and were gradually but surely coming into 
a state of mind when they would be willing to 
surrender. 

After a desperate encounter between them 
and the troops under Captain Hatfield, Gen- 
eral Miles found one of their warriors badly 
wounded. He had succeeded in making his way 
back to the Apache Agency. 

He reported to the general that the Indians 
275 


THE APACHE CHIEF 

were in a very desperate and exhausted state. 

General Miles directed that the Indian should 
be given the best of care and when he had suf- 
ficiently recovered he sent him, under the 
charge of a young lieutenant, to the camp of 
the enemy with a demand for surrender. 

Meanwhile Captain Lawton also had been 
able to open communications with the Apaches 
through the work of two of his lieutenants. 

In this pursuit although they were deeply in- 
terested, Jack and Alfred, naturally, did not 
have any direct part. They were not soldiers, 
although they had departed from the ruined 
ranch with the troopers. They had not gone 
far, however, on their journey before they ar- 
rived at a place on one of the mountains where 
a corporal and two of his men were sending 
messages by the heliostat. 

When it was discovered that Jack was an en- 
gineer sind. might be able to assist in this wor£ 
it was arranged that the men with the corporal 
should continue with the troopers and that Jack 
should remain to assist the corporal in his task. 
Naturally Alfred remained with his brother and 
his delight in the flashes of light that were sent 
from mountain to mountain and the messages 
276 


CONCLUSION 

they contained kept the boy in a state of con- 
tinued interest. 

There they remained for several weeks until 
at last Geronimo sent word to Captain Lawton 
that he was willing to surrender if he could 
surrender to the man in the highest authority. 

When this word was sent to General Miles he 
at once replied that if Geronimo would send 
him assurance that he was acting in good faith 
he would go down to meet him near the Mexican 
border. 

Geronimo at once sent his brother to Fort 
Bowie, to prove that his purpose was honest, 
and then for eleven days the Indian camp was 
moved steadily northward, near to the troops 
of Captain Lawton. 

General Miles had gone down to Skeleton 
Canon, which is near the Mexican border and 
there met Captain Lawton’s forces, with the 
Indians camped only a short distance away* 
And then the wily and desperate Apache leader 

came to meet the general. 

His first question was concerning what would 

be done with him in case he surrendered. He 
declared that if he and all his followers were 
to be killed they might as well die fighting at 
277 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


once as in any other way. He did earnestly 
beseech the commander, however, that he 
should spare his life and his people. 

General Miles quietly informed him that 
Geronimo must surrender as a prisoner of war 
and that he must be prepared to accept what- 
ever decision the Government might make con- 
cerning him and his followers. The general, 
however, explained that the military authorities 
of the United States were not in the habit of 
killing their prisoners and that the future of 
the Apaches would depend upon the decision of 
the President at Washington. 

General Miles also informed him that he had 
directed General Wade to move all the Indians 
at the Apache Agency in northern Arizona from 
the territory. And, also, that he himself and 
his tribe would be removed. Indian depreda-- 
tions and atrocities had been endured so long 
by the white people that the time had come to 
end them forever. 

Geronimo now was in no position to haggle. 
The general explained to him the folly of trying 
longer to contend against the military power 
of the United States. He explained also the 
advantages they possessed in communications 
278 


CONCLUSION 


and transportation. At that moment Geronimo 
was watching keenly a corporal who was using 
the heliostat. In a few seconds a message was 
sent and received which, if it had been sent by 
a rider would have consumed an entire day’s 
journey. Geronimo was greatly impressed. He 
at once sent an Indian runner to Natchez, who 
had remained out on the mountains, to inform 
him that he was in the presence of a great power 
which he could not understand and he also 
urged Natchez to come quickly. 

Afterward Geronimo related that he had 
often seen these flashes high up on the mountain 
peaks, but he thought they were evidences of 
spirits and not of the presence of men. 

Convinced that the end had come, Geronimo 
and Natchez formally surrendered and placed 
themselves entirely under the control of Gen- 
eral Miles. 

The day after the surrender, General Miles 
took Geronimo and Natchez and four others of 
the principal Indians, with an escort of a troop 
of cavalry, and made a swift march of sixty-five 
miles to Fort Bowie. There three days later 
Captain Lawton arrived with the remaining 
body of Indians. 


279 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


What was to be done with Geronimo ? He 
had been the leader of the insurrection and the 
crafty warrior who had directed all the activi- 
ties of the Apaches. There was a strong de- 
mand for his execution and also of Natchez, as 
well as of several other leading Indians, hut 
this plan was abandoned, and although the feel- 
ing in Arizona against the Indians at that time 
was intense General Miles decided that his best 
plan would be to take all the Apaches to some 
distant part of the country. In view of the 
strong feeling against them he decided to take 
not only those who had been engaged in fight- 
ing, but also those who were at the Agency, for 
they had given aid and support and had pro- 
vided supplies for the fighters. 

At last, under the escort of the Fourth Cav- 
alry, while the military band was playing Auld 
Lang Syne, the Indians moved out from Fort 
Bowie. A similar band under another leader, 
named Mangus, had refused to come to the fort, 
but these also were finally captured by the 
troopers of Captain Cooper. 

At last the country was cleared of the devas- 
tating and terrifying presence of the Apaches. 

In appreciation of the successful work of Gen- 
280 


CONCLUSION 


eral Miles the people of Arizona and New Mex- 
ico presented the great soldier with a very beau- 
tiful sword. This weapon, with the exception 
of its blade, grip and a large India star sap- 
phire, was all of solid gold. The scabbard also 
was of gold. It was presented to General Miles 
at the celebration and reception given him at 
Tucson, Arizona. 

Mines that had long been closed and many 
which had been abandoned because of the das- 
tardly work of Geronimo and his men, now re- 
opened. Ranches from which people had fled 
in terror now were cultivated once more. Peo- 
ple who had not dared to travel except by night 
or with a strong escort were free to go wher- 
ever they desired. Instantly the value of 
houses and cattle ranches greatly increased. 

As to our immediate friends, with the reopen- 
ing of the mines, Jack decided to remain in 
Arizona. Provision was made, however, by 
which Alfred was to return to the east and 
resume his school work. 

“Pm telling you,’’ he said to his brother, 
when he was waiting for the train which was to 
take him far from the land of the painted desert, 
“Pm going to study mining engineering too and 
281 


THE APACHE CHIEF 


just as soon as Pm through college I’m coming 
out here to join you. We’ll find a copper mine 
and then we’ll be ready for anything that may 
come.” 

“You want to find your rabbit before you 
cook it,” laughed Jack. 

“Of course I do, but if you mean we have 
got to find the mine before we can work it, I’m 
dead sure we’re going to find it. Zach, who is 
staying back here at the ranch house, told me 
that we would be sure to find one.” 

“Yes, I’ve heard Zach and other prospectors 
like him talk in the same way. Zach ought to 
be thankful that he ever lived to get away from 
that band of Apaches that attacked him and 
Wheat.” 

“But Wheat didn’t get away,” suggested 
Alfred. 

“All the more reason for Zach appreciating 
his blessings.” 

“I think one reason why Zach got away all 
right was because I have the Medicine Stone. 
I never could understand why that young 
Apache gave it up. He would get it and then 
he would give it to some one else, but apparently 
he was trying to lose it.” 

282 


CONCLUSION 


1 ‘ Probably he believed it brought bad luck 
and then he would get over his feeling and try 
to get the Stone again.” 

“Well, I have it now but I don’t know what 
to do with it. I wonder how much it’s worth.” 

“Just about as much as any other piece of 
quartz is, ’ ’ laughed Jack. i 1 1 think all the value 
there is in the stone, though it is an unusually 
fine specimen, is in what the Indians believed 
it really was. You can make almost anything 
seem valuable if you only believe it. Well, Al- 
fred,” continued Jack as the whistle of the 
approaching train was heard, “you go back 
home and get right on your job. I’ll stay out 
here and do my best to keep up until you join 
me. Then we’ll begin our search for the 
Apache gold or copper. You have the Medicine 
Stone and it ought not to be a very long or diffi- 
cult task to get the rest.” 

(u 

THE END 















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